The above image, Coalesce, was created by artist Bryan Smith as part of the Souls Shot Portrait Project 2021-2022 exhibition.
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Juawann Mason always strived to do the right thing. While others got wrapped up in drama on the streets, Juawann chose college. And after he earned his bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University, he decided to remain in the small northeastern Pennsylvania town rather than returning to his South Philadelphia neighborhood.
In recent months, Juawann, whose nickname was Whomp, was working toward making a new start in Miami. Although he enjoyed his position at Job Corps working with children, he had dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur, and he and a friend were going to launch a sneaker company.
He had purchased a plane ticket for a flight to Miami leaving Philly the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. That would not happen.
Juawann was standing outside his grandmother’s house in the 1800 block of Corlies Street talking on the phone at about 2:15 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 5, 2020 when someone drove by and shot him to death. Police have not yet made any arrests.
“He didn’t want to be around here,” his brother Saleem Jones said. “He knew what it’s like in the city and he didn’t want to fall victim to that, and that’s exactly what happened to him. He fell victim to the environment, the turf wars. He was an innocent victim whose life was taken for no reason at all.”
Juawann was born March 28, 1993 to Cindy Mason and Lamont Evans and grew up in South Philadelphia. The youngest of four, he had an older sister, Jamillah, and two older brothers, Walter and Saleem.
Saleem is the oldest, and the pair had a close relationship. He served as a father figure to Juawann and encouraged him to stay focused on his goals.
His persistence paid off: Juawann was a high school basketball star. At 5’11” and 155 pounds, he was a notable player on Audenreid High School’s team and was the subject of a Philadelphia Inquirer article in December 2010.
“I would always talk to him and his friends about the importance of being good, positive kids. You don’t have to be a drug dealer. You don’t have to be out there in the streets. You don’t have to carry guns,” said Saleem, who has been a corrections officer for 18 years.
“You can accomplish so many things the legal way. He always took that road and he listened to what I said. When he got to high school he came to me and said, ‘I want to go to college’ and that was a decision he made on his own.”
After graduating from Audenreid in 2012, Juawann headed to Bloomsburg to study criminal justice with the goal of becoming a parole officer. He was the first person in his family to earn a bachelor’s degree, which made his close-knit family proud and inspired other young people. He was a go-getter, Saleem said.
Juawann had seven nieces and nephews: five from Saleem, ages 17, 15, 13, 11 and 6, and two from his sister Jamillah, ages 10 and 4. They all looked up to Juawann as a role model. Saleem encourages them to think of all of the good times, and to remember all of the positive things their uncle wanted for them.
As Philadelphia contends with the highest murder rate in more than 10 years, Saleem doesn’t want Juawann to be relegated to simply a statistic. The irony is that he was actively trying to avoid becoming a victim — he left Philly due to the violence, and he was only passing through on his way to Miami when he was shot, his brother said. At the time, his grandmother was inside her house in her wheelchair.
A disturbing pattern has emerged where law-abiding, everyday people are being shot for just being in the wrong neighborhood.
“Innocent for innocent — if they can’t get the people they want, they’ll take anybody. An innocent for an innocent,” Saleem said. “It’s pretty much open season for anyone, and it’s horrible. That was my mom’s baby and she should never have to bury her baby.”
He added: “The city is out of control. The politicians aren’t doing anything about it. Innocent people should not have to worry about being attacked and under fire in this city. Bring in state or federal agencies, put the city on a curfew, crack down — y’all have to do something.”
Juawann’s friends and family are trying to get his Audenreid Rockets #21 basketball jersey retired and the auditorium named for him in recognition of his contributions to the team.
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 Juawann’s murder. Anonymous calls can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.
