ALIQUIPPA, Pa. — More than a hundred people gathered in Aliquippa to remember and tell stories about a life cut short. Officials say Willie Dawkins was shot and killed in a dispute with a contractor in Center Township.
Friends and family described him as a devoted man who made a big impact on kids in Aliquippa.
“He had a very big impact on the youth. You see, they gave him his nickname, Coach Dawk,” Dawkins’ aunt Anitra Lowe said. “I can’t express. This is amazing. I was expecting a nice turnout, but I wasn’t expecting this crowd. But I know my nephew was loved by a lot of people.”
Lowe was one of several people who spoke. She talked about her nephew, but also begged people to put down their guns.
“I need you all to find it in your heart to stop all this violence and figure out how to work it out,” she said.
The event also drew the city’s mayor. He said he’d spoken with Dawkins not long before the shooting.
“I’m sorry to the family because we’re all family. When one hurts, we all hurt. People can say that, but in Aliquippa it means something,” Mayor Dwan Walker said.
The event also marked a jersey retirement. Dawkins coached the Aliquippa Twerps football team. The league announced that the number 32 would be retired. Dawkins was 32 years old when he was shot and killed.
Wesley Deaderick, the man charged in Dawkins’ death, is facing several charges including voluntary manslaughter. His preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 8.
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