Jasmine Aaliyah Lewis started playing basketball in fourth grade, and it quickly became apparent that she had talent.
She fell in love with the game at Sturgis Playground in East Oak Lane, then perfected her skills on the court at Mastery Charter North High School. By the time she reached Lackawanna College in Scranton, Jasmine was a star player.
She nurtured a dream of joining the WNBA and playing basketball overseas, and her goals were within her grasp.
But her plans for the future will go unfulfilled. Jasmine was struck by a stray bullet on Aug. 27, 2020 while driving in the 6000 block of Wister Street in Germantown and died a few days later.
“She was trying to pursue her dreams until this unfortunate situation happened,” her mother Karen Robinson said.
That evening, Jasmine had come home from playing basketball at the YMCA to shower and change, then she headed to a get-together at a friend’s house. A short time later, Karen received the call that her daughter had been shot en route. Police have not yet made any arrests.
Born Jan. 20, 2000 to Karen and James Lewis, Jasmine was Karen’s fifth child out of six. She had an especially close relationship with her 17-year-old sister, Jaylah, who is also a basketball player.
Jasmine was fun to be around and enjoyed making people laugh. She was also smart and caring and was eager to help anyone who needed it.
Although she tried football for a few months in high school, basketball was her world, and Karen supported her daughter’s passion. Karen described working the overnight shift at Quest Diagnostics, leaving work at 7 a.m., then heading up to Scranton to watch Jasmine play ball.
During her freshman year, Lackawanna’s women’s basketball team, the Falcons, made it to the nationals.
“She was so hype about going to nationals,” Karen said. “She was ecstatic.”
The team lost by two points, but just the fact that they made it that far was a thrill in itself.
Jasmine completed two years at Lackawanna, then decided to transfer to Queens College in New York. She was about to start classes when she was killed.
The day she was shot, Jasmine played her last basketball game with her sister Jaylah. Devastated by her loss, Jaylah couldn’t bring herself to get back on the court, but that changed recently.
“My youngest daughter started playing ball again,” Karen said. “She does it in memory of her sister.”
A reward of up to $20,000 if available to anyone that comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the persons responsible for Jasmine’s murder. Anonymous calls can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.
Resources are available for people and communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Click here for more information.
Date: 2020-08-29
Location: 6000 E Wister St, Philadelphia, PA
