ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Regina McFadden’s son, 28-year-old Jevonte Huff, was fatally shot on Aug. 26, 2023, at a Sunoco gas station on Dewey Avenue. She’s still grieving, but her strength stands as a powerful reminder to other parents facing the same pain.

What You Need To Know

  • Regina McFadden lost her son Jevonte Huff in a fatal shooting in 2023 and continues to navigate the pain of that loss

  • Despite her grief, she found the strength to support a plea deal that helped bring justice to not only her family, but another grieving mother

  • McFadden is now focused on creating a support program for parents who’ve survived the unimaginable, turning her pain into purpose

“Jevonte was all about smiles all the time. If anybody knew him, it was always based on his laugh. He loved his sneakers, he worshiped his hair and he loved kids,” said McFadden.

Jevonte worked at a hospital cleaning surgical rooms. On the night of Aug. 26, 2023, after clocking out, he stopped at a gas station to buy cigarettes, unaware that he was walking into an argument that had nothing to do with him, one that would end his life.

“The guy turned around and came back and sprayed the whole gas station. And where my son was at, to this day, nobody can explain how that bullet even hit him. The young man that they were shooting at was right there. And I guess the young man went to pull back. And when he went to lift his arm up, the bullet wound up under his arm and it pierced my son in his side; it wasn’t intended for him. A social worker from Strong Memorial Hospital called and said, ‘This is Strong and we need you to come here immediately,' " McFadden explained.

When asked what went through her head during that call, her answer was heartbreaking.

“I knew once that social worker called that my son was already dead,” she said.

McFadden rushed to the hospital, clinging to hope, but it was too late.

“When the doctor came in, he got on his knees, he said, ‘Unfortunately, he didn’t make it.’ I just lost my breath,” she shared.

This wasn't the first time Regina had suffered a devastating loss. Just four years earlier, she buried another son who died from a drug overdose. She says that life has not been the same since.

“I don't even want to celebrate Christmas. I don't want to celebrate Thanksgiving. Why should I have fun when my kids are dead? You feel like you're doing something wrong when you enjoy your life because it's like they don't have life. And when I go to the cemetery, both of my kids are buried next to each other, so the pain ...” McFadden expressed.

For McFadden, the silence that comes with grief is loud. The photos and memories are all she has left. She clings to her faith for strength.

“I'm a survivor and it's because of God, because daily I suffer. Last month, I had a very bad experience to where I just wanted to die. How do you live without your child?” she said.

When the shooter was finally arrested, Regina learned something else, he had taken another life months earlier. Prosecutors approached her with a difficult question: Would she support a plea deal that would not only bring justice for her son, but also closure to another grieving mother?

“First I said, 'no!' But I had to think about a mother that was suffering like me, so I said, ‘Of course, I will.’ He is serving 40 years,” she added.

Now, McFadden is determined to do more with her pain. She's channeling her grief into a mission, one that she hopes will help other parents find healing.

“My mission is to create a program. I survived the death of my kids. I survived depression. I survived suicide. I survived it, so I want to create an atmosphere for those who survived,” McFadden said.