July 6, 2019 marked the beginning of a dark and tragic rollercoaster for the Swierski family. They received the devastating news that their son, Jonathan, had been shot and killed.

Jonathan, age 20, is described by all as a loving son, loyal friend, great football player, protective big brother and hard worker. He was dedicated to the ROTC program and had plans to join the military. Jonathan worked with his father, Mr. Scott Swierski, daily. Mr. Swierski loved working side by side with his son and had plans of passing down his business to Jonathan one day.

His mother, Mrs. Dawn Swierski, cherished every moment with her son. She still shared precious mother/son moments with Jonathan, like cutting his hair. She was very proud of the young man Jonathan had become and had high hopes for his future.

Jonathan also had a special bond with his little sister, who he lovingly called his “baby girl”. He absolutely adored her and spent as much time as possible with her. He proved to be very protective of her and even wrote of her frequently in his journal at school.

But everything changed on that dreadful night in July. Their lives were turned upside down and inside out.

On the night of July 6, 2019, Jonathan received a phone call from a friend saying that he was being threatened and a fight was about to happen. He asked Jonathan to come help. Being the loyal, loving friend he was, Jonathan immediately agreed to aid his friend. Jonathan explained the situation to his girlfriend, Lacey Horne, and two other buddies that were at his house at the time. All four decided to go help. Upon arriving at the Paces Pointe Apartment Complex, details get a little hazy.

According to Dawn Swierski, Jonathan spotted a guy at the playground of the complex. He exited the vehicle to approach the unknown man. As Jonathan was headed towards the playground, his girlfriend goes to the apartment of the friend that called for help. Jonathan’s friend that drove them there got out of the car with a loaded shotgun and a few extra shells in his pocket. (From here on he will be referred to as The Shooter)

As The Shooter approached the playground, Jonathan was already engaged in a fight with the unknown man. According to The Shooter’s 911 call, the stranger hit him and the gun went off.

Jonathan was shot at very close range in the chest. Law enforcement arrived on the scene and found Jonathan deceased.

North Carolina law states that pointing a gun and accidentally shooting someone is considered involuntary manslaughter. For reasons I don’t understand, Matthews PD declared Jonathan’s death an accident within a week or so even though the medical examiner ruled his death a homicide. The case was then turned over to the Mecklenburg County DA’s office.

The Swierski family felt a sense of hope in August 2019 when Brad Smith weighed in with his opinion. Smith, a Charlotte criminal defense attorney, reviewed the case and the 911 call. He stated, “There’s a large difference between what’s reckless and what’s an accidental act.”

Getting hit again with gruesome news in September 2019 was hard on the Swierski family. The DA’s office made an announcement that no charges would be filed against The Shooter.

Dawn Swierski has reached out to several media outlets and such to get justice for her son. She has worked and fought so hard to bring this case to light. I stand with her in this fight! Bringing a loaded shotgun to a possible fist fight is absolutely reckless and irresponsible. If I’m not mistaken, the attorney, Mr. Smith, made a comment about the stranger on the playground hitting The Shooter could be charged too. And what about the so-called friend that called Jonathan over in the first place?? Instead of simply locking his apartment door or calling the police or perhaps handling his own battles…he called Jonathan. He didn’t, to my knowledge, leave his apartment to come help Jonathan. He was in his apartment avoiding all the mess while Jonathan was engaged in a fight and being shot. And what about other cases in North Carolina that ended in involuntary manslaughter? Why does this case get dismissed?

We will continue to fight for Jonathan. We will seek justice for this young man who was stripped from this world over reckless and irresponsible behavior.

Please show your support for Jonathan’s family on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/justiceforjonathan/?ref=share

Photo obtained from Dawn Swierski