INDEPENDENCE, Mo — A family in Independence is calling a man who died in a crime spree, Juavvion Bagsby, their hero.
It happened in Independence on Friday night. A victim was stabbed and another victim was shot.
Tyler Rizer faces first degree assault and armed criminal action charges.
A vigil for Bagsby in his neighborhood paints a picture of what he meant to his family. He was a father of three, a son and a protector.
"It was just a regular day, then it wasn’t," said Kierra Turner, Bagsby's wife.
Bagsby got a call from his wife to rush home because she and two of his children were being attacked.
"It’s still fresh," Turner said. "It was a traumatic experience so I'm not comfortable describing what we went through."
Bagsby's mother, Allison Stiles, heard her son’s voice on the phone the entire time.
"He said, 'I'm getting to my family,' and that’s what he cared about. I mean once it comes to them, there is no one in this world that can stop him from protecting them," Stiles said.
She never imagined this would be their last conversation.
"I just dropped on my knees and prayed," Stiles said. "I know the Lord was with all of them."
Turner’s physical scars from the attack might be fading, but she said the trauma her and their boys experienced will last a lifetime.
"I know my husband is proud of me," she said. "I know he knows what I did and sees what I did and knows I did the right thing."
Even though he is not physically here, Stiles is left with a tangible reminder.
"Anything I can hold close to my heart from my husband means a lot," she said.
She will hold the necklace close in their family’s pursuit for justice and further charges.
"Three counts of attempted murder. Five actually…three on her, one on the man he stabbed and attempted murder of this man [points to their neighbor] and murder of my son…manslaughter, manslaughter, manslaughter," Stiles said.
The suspect has only been charged with first degree assault.
The family set up a GoFundMe for assistance with funeral expenses.
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