TEMPLE, Texas — Jesse was murdered in a shooting the evening of Thursday, Nov, 30th in Temple.
"Jesse was such a loving, beautiful soul. Such a kind and caring person. Also, what a funny bone. Always making me laugh," said Jesse's mother Coffie Gushea-Larson in a statement to 6News.
Gushea-Larson sent 6News pictures of Jesse and described the process. "I laughed. I cried. The pictures went from when he was 10 minutes old until he was 17. It was a perfect small little piece of the healing process."
Jesse had a significant other, Rebecca Conlin.
She shared, "There are truly no words. Jesse was a rock in everyone's life. He brought such joy and light to everyone he met, even just in passing. He was charming, charismatic, unwavering, and stood up for what was right - no matter against who."
The suspects in connection with Jesse's murder surrendered themselves to authorities.
Full statements below
There are truly no words. Jesse was a rock in everyone’s life. He brought such joy and light to everyone he met, even just in passing. He was charming, charismatic, unwavering, and stood up for what was right - No matter against who. He was a protector to so many people and this loss will be felt for years to come for all those who knew him. As he landed in Texas for the weekend, one of the first things he said was “it’s so good to be back!” He loved Temple, TX and the people that live there. One of the things he’ll be remembered for most by his friends and family is his absolute love for fishing and his respect for all things outdoors. There is not one person that Jesse met who didn’t receive the most authentic version of himself, that was one of the qualities his friends and family loved most - Along with his love for life and the unapologetic way he lived it. Jesse will be missed by countless people and we love him so much.
-Rebecca Conlin
Jesse was such a loving, beautiful soul. Such a kind and caring person. He was a very quick, very smart person. Also, what a funny bone. ALWAYS making me laugh! Always helping everyone around him. Always when out in public, I would look around to see why He suddenly wasn't walking next to me, only to see it was because He was on the next aisle over helping someone get something down, or in a parking lot helping someone load their things in their car. Helping the elderly across the street. That was Jesse. That's who Jesse was. Also, he was a lover of all things nature. He knew the name of every animal on the earth and the name of every creature in the sea. His passion was fishing. He fished every spare moment he could get fishing. It just was truly his passion. He was such a beautiful bright spot in our lives that has now been put out and taken away from us, his devastated, distraught family. We will never be able to recover and live without him.
-Coffie Gushea-Larson
