‘My purpose in life is these kids.’ Shooting victim was focused on helping Lexington youth
Last week, local hip-hop artist Brandon Walker accompanied Devine Carama, director of ONE Lexington, to Tates Creek High School for the organization’s “It Takes a Village” in-school mentoring program.
Walker and Carama were good friends growing up and are both alumni of Tates Creek High School. The purpose of the trip was for Walker to share his troublesome yet inspiring story to the youth, and Carama said Walker captivated the kids with his story.
“We were in there for an hour and they didn’t want him to leave,” Carama said.
Walker posted about the trip on Facebook, and said “this is what we have to do to help.” He said he felt the students “got the message.”
“I felt so good I just felt like I was doing the right thing everybody know this is what I like to do I just got caught up for a minute,” Walker said in a comment on the post.
Afterward, Walker gave Carama a hug and reiterated his desire to be more involved in helping young people in Lexington.
“He basically said ‘my purpose in life is these kids.’ He was like, ‘I don’t have a shot at continuing on in life unless I’m able to do this,’” Carama said.
Carama responded by saying, “These kids need you as much as you need them.”
That was one of the last things Carama said to Walker before Walker was fatally shot outside his home Tuesday. He was declared dead at the scene and the suspect left before officers arrived, according to Lexington police. No one has been arrested in the case yet.
Walker’s death left family and community members in disbelief. They felt he could inspire younger people in Lexington.
“You did everything and more for your city and this one hurts,” said Lindsey Blair in a Facebook post. “EVERYBODY will miss you.”
“You got out and changed your life,” said Ashley Johnson in a Facebook post. “You did a lot of positive things no matter what. You said you’d never be the same. We won’t either after losing you and Reese.”
Walker’s previous troubles were part of the reason he could share a story that students would take to heart. He had been convicted on drug-related charges multiple times, most recently in 2018. He’d previously been sentenced to time in prison.
After Walker’s troubles, he wanted to take his life in a new direction. Carama said he and Walker reconnected in the last couple years because of Walker’s desire to help the youth and the community.
Carama thinks Lexington is suffering a major loss without Walker’s story and voice.
“The way he told it was impactful to those that heard it,” Carama said. “Losing somebody like that is going to be detrimental to the city.”
‘He had the biggest heart.’
Walker contributed to the community in a number of ways. He was a growing hip-hop artist and had his own clothing brand, called Struggle Team.
Walker was also very involved in community service. Carama said he has hosted multiple Halloween parties at the Lyric Theatre for kids, he ran toy drives around Christmas and he hosted events where he fed the homeless.
Walker even planned to hand out meals to people on Friday, according to a Facebook post on his page.
“He had the biggest heart. He was just like his brother, he was filled with love and he really wanted to pour into the youth,” Carama said. “That was his purpose and passion in life, to show these youth that there’s another way.”
Carama said he believes the giving spirit was always inside Walker despite the trouble he went through.
“He’s always had that heart, ever since we were kids,” Carama said. “It’s really not a black and white thing, it’s just so layered and tethered and really shades of gray of who he was as a person.”
Following Walker’s death, Carama hopes Lexington can learn from Walker to support people who want to improve their lives.
“How can we create a system, and use ‘Big B’ as a model of how we can further support those that want out of a certain lifestyle, that want to do that 180, that want out?” Carama said. “We have to be able to catch them when they’re ready to jump out of that lifestyle.”
This story was originally published November 18, 2022 at 7:19 AM.
