On Sundays and Wednesdays, when the Rev. David Jones unlocked the doors to Williams Memorial Baptist Church, he would find 11-year-old Khalil Abdullah Lavon Burt waiting to pepper him with questions.
He wanted to know why Jones wore a robe when he delivered his sermon, and how Jones was called to the ministry. Mostly, he wanted to know how old he had to be before he was baptized — a rite the pastor performed when the boy was 8.
“The name Khalil means ‘my friend,’ ” Jones said during Khalil’s funeral Friday at the Carroll Avenue church. His voice choked with emotion. “And Khalil was my friend.”
Relatives and church members packed the pews during Friday’s service, which came about a week after Khalil was fatally shot. Many wore T-shirts to the service bearing a picture of Khalil standing outdoors in a button-up shirt and slacks, his tie askew and his smile wide. All throughout the church, bright red ribbons dotted lapels — a reminder of Khalil’s favorite color.
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Police say Khalil was shot by a 10-year-old relative while the two boys played with a gun in Khalil’s home just across the street from the church. The incident happened not long after Khalil graduated from Westside Elementary School.
Roanoke Commonwealth’s Attorney Donald Caldwell said Tuesday that the gun belonged to a relative, who did not live in the home. No charges are expected against the 10-year-old boy.
“In the world, you will have tribulation,” Jones said. “This is tribulation.”
Born in Essex, Maryland, Khalil was an enthusiastic musician who learned to play violin before moving to Virginia, according to his obituary. Later, he learned to play guitar and drums. He loved drawing, especially abstract pictures, and he played video games avidly.
But at Williams Memorial, he was known for his devotion to the church. He often would attend with his little sister, but only if she was ready to go by the time he was, according to his obituary.
Fourteen-year-old Dontrell Clary said Khalil first started coming to Williams Memorial when Dontrell invited him about a year after Khalil’s family moved to Roanoke. Khalil was about 6 years old.
“He just was an outgoing, awesome kid,” Dontrell said during the service. “Khalil wasn’t like some kids. He was just loving.”
During Friday’s service, Jones compared Khalil’s faith with the New Testament story in which Jesus’ parents find him, as a 12-year-old boy, asking questions of teachers in the temple in Jerusalem . The story, Jones said, demonstrated not only the faith children can have, but also the worry and stress parents face in moments when they cannot be assured of their children’s safety.
“When Jesus’ parents saw him, they said, ‘Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety,’ ” Jones said. “Let us consider that on Thursday, May 26, Isha Welch went frantically looking for her son. She thought he was home with family and friends, but she could not find him.
“My friend will no longer be waiting for me at the door of Williams Memorial,” Jones said, his voice choking. “But he will be waiting for me when I get home.”