A month after a deadly shooting left one teen dead and another critically wounded in the quiet community of Gardenia Village, the 18-year-old survivor remains in a fragile fight for recovery, with his family issuing an urgent appeal for public blood donations to support his ongoing treatment.
The shocking violence unfolded on May 31, when a lone gunman opened fire on a group of gathered family members. The attack claimed the life of 15-year-old Rackeem Armstrong, a second-form student at Ladyville Tech, and left 18-year-old Justin Young fighting for his life. Law enforcement has since made an arrest in the case, taking 34-year-old Dean Vaccaro into custody. Vaccaro faces a slate of charges including murder, attempted murder, and multiple other offenses connected to the attack. As of June 10, 2026, the official investigation into the shooting remains active and ongoing.
In a raw, emotional interview, Justin’s mother Kayla Young shared that there are small glimmers of hope for her son’s recovery: after weeks of critical care, Justin can now breathe on his own, a small but meaningful milestone. Even so, his road to healing is far from over, with multiple scheduled surgeries still ahead that will require significant blood transfusions.
Kayla emphasized that both young victims were completely innocent bystanders, caught in violence that never should have touched their community. Speaking to the people responsible for the attack, she said there was always a better way to resolve any conflict. “They could have come to confront me, the mother, and worked things out. I would have done anything to keep this from ever going this far,” she said. “I only thank God that my son is still alive. It still feels like a terrible dream none of us can wake up from. We don’t wish harm on anyone, but it hurts beyond words that two innocent boys had their lives destroyed like this.”
With Justin still in urgent need of blood donations to get through his upcoming procedures, the Young family is calling on eligible community members to step forward to help. Anyone interested in donating can contact the family directly at 655-2480 to coordinate.