PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Just days after a Portland man was shot and killed inside a business, his family is remembering and honoring his life.
Zachery Freeman, 29, was shot to death Sunday while at a Southeast Portland business.
“My kids just adored him, literally, they all wanted to be like Uncle Zach,” said Jackie Ivy, Zachery Freeman’s sister. “They collected cards together and played video games together. They would go spend the night at his house and play Pokemon.”
It was a life filled with laughter, family and fun. These are the memories the family of Zachery now holds tight to.
“He loved his family, he was one of those types of people you could go to and he would talk you through anything,” said Lorrie Freeman, Zachery’s mom. “Zachery and me were like friends, not just mom and son. We would just go to the beach or hang out and talk.”
His family tells KOIN 6 this is especially hard, as they also grieve his older brother who died around this same time years ago.
“He had an older brother that was like his best friend who literally died 20 years ago, practically to the week, so this is even more raw because it’s the second child that I’ve lost,” said Freeman.
Employees at the store where Zachery died, say a fight broke out between him and another customer in the back before shots were fired. According to Portland Police and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, the next day, the suspect, 20-year-old Jack Watson, was shot and killed during an exchange with officers.
Zachery’s family says it’s hard not knowing what exactly happened or why, and are not sure if the two even knew each other, but they say they also feel for Watson’s family.
“I hate that any other family has to feel like this,” said Freeman. “It saved us going through all the court hearings and all that stuff, but also like I said, I don’t wish this feeling on anybody, whether their son did something wrong or didn’t do something wrong. It’s still their child.”
As his family grieves his loss, they also hope to remember the best of Zachery and keep his memory alive.
“The family time we spent together, I think the laughs, the jokes and just bonding with each other, that part is super important because not everybody has that friendship with their siblings. We are really close-knit and we spend a lot of time together and just thinking of how he’s not going to be there with us like that is just heartbreaking,” said Ivy. “When he left this driveway Thursday night, if I had known that was the last time I would ever see his face, I feel like I would’ve said something, did something, kissed him, said I love you one time.”
Zachery’s family has set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses. They’re also asking for prayers during this time.