South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Victim of Fort Lauderdale bus shooting remembered as being ‘all about family’
FORT LAUDERDALE — Family and friends gathered Saturday to say goodbye to Danny Colon, one of two people killed in the Fort Lauderdale bus shooting March 17. But he won’t be forgotten.
Colon, 41, who lived in Hollywood, was riding the Broward County Transit bus on his way home from his job as a mover in Pompano Beach when he was shot and killed by Jamal Meyers, a 34-year-old who is considered a habitual violent offender. Gregory Campbell, a 32-year-old Lauderdale Lakes resident, was also killed in the shooting. Two other bus passengers were injured.
Colon’s funeral was Saturday in Fort Lauderdale. It was a celebration of his life.
“He never wants anyone to be sad and upset,” said April Butler, Danny’s cousin. “He wants to be celebrated.”
Colon, a father of three children, three stepchildren, and three grandchildren, was anchor for his family.
“He was all about family,” said his 24-year-old daughter, Destiney Colon. “He would call me, call the family and get everybody together.”
Danny will certainly be remembered the next time his family has a BBQ.
“He enjoyed BBQ,” Destiney said. “If he could every day, he would.”
Danny, a New York native, was a lifelong New York Jets fan who frequently attended Miami Dolphins games. He also loved to work on cars, something he did for most of his life, according to Destiney.
Danny’s death comes at an especially trying time for the family, which also includes 13-year-old daughter Isabella. Danny’s
9-month-old son, Danny Jr., died about a year ago.
The reality of Danny Sr.’s death is still tough to accept.
“It’s a hard pill to swallow because you see it on TV and with other people,” said April Butler, Danny’s cousin, “but when it hits home you just cannot believe it’s your relative.
“It’s so unexpected. But it’s just life and unfortunately you never know when it’s going to be your last day,” she said.
Meyers is scheduled to make a court appearance next week. He was last sent to prison on Aug. 9, 2021, after being found guilty of
10 crimes between 2017 and
2019. Half of those convictions were for burglary. On Jan. 8, he was released and placed on probation until
2025.
The motive for the bus shooting remains unknown.
However, Colon’s family doesn’t understand why Meyers was on the streets. They think that signifies a failure of the criminal justice system.
“That man was not supposed to be out on the streets,” Butler said. “He was not. And they knew that. The system failed the public. They lost two lives and traumatized many others.
“That man was supposed to be locked up somewhere and he wouldn’t have been able to hurt anybody. That’s just our feelings about it. We’re praying for the others, and the families affected, too.”
But they are saying goodbye to their loved one. A GoFundMe has been established in his memory.
“He was just a good person,” Butler said of her cousin, Danny. “He wasn’t there to hurt anybody or harm anybody. He was just a bystander.”