Community Corner
$50K Raised For Fatally Shot Odenton Boxer, Petition Demands Justice
Over $50,000 has been raised after an Odenton boxer was killed. The money will help his 2-year-old son. A petition is demanding justice.
ODENTON, MD — A fundraiser has collected over $52,000 for the family of a 27-year-old Odenton father who was fatally shot last month just before he became a professional boxer.
The money will help the 2-year-old son of the late Isaiah Olugbemi. The fund will also cover funeral costs and legal fees for the family.
"As we mourn Isaiah's untimely departure, we also seek justice and support for his grieving family," the fundraiser said. "Isaiah's family faces not only profound emotional loss but also financial burdens during this difficult time. Your generosity will provide assistance with funeral expenses, legal fees, and support for his young child's future."
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Nearly 4,000 people have signed a petition demanding justice for Olugbemi.
Court records obtained by Patch said Olugbemi's neighbor confessed to shooting him multiple times and continuing to fire as he fell to the ground.
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The petition demands that the suspect "be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for his premeditated and senseless act of violence." It also implores lawmakers to enact "stricter gun control measures."
"We owe it to Isaiah, and to the innumerable others who have lost their lives to gun violence, to fight for justice and a safer society," the petition said. "Your signature can play a vital role in ensuring that Isaiah's tragic death does not become just another statistic in the grim tally of gun violence."
The fundraiser is posted here. The petition is available at this link. Both are still open.
Read Patch's profile on Olugbemi to learn about his championship-winning boxing career and his light-hearted personality.
The Shooting
Olugbemi was fatally shot on June 17 in the 500 block of Meadowmist Way. That's located in the Lions Gate neighborhood.
Police confirmed that the suspect lived in the same community as Olugbemi. The two had a conflict dating back to at least June 1, officers said. The shooting wasn't the first time the conflict escalated.
"The police had been called prior to this incident," Anne Arundel County Police Department spokesperson Justin Mulcahy told Patch in a June 28 email. "The specifics are linked to this homicide investigation and we are not releasing those details at this time."
Officers announced on June 18 that they arrested 36-year-old Nicholas Francis Xavier Giroux of Odenton in the case.
Authorities said Giroux was charged with first-degree murder and second-degree murder.
Giroux confessed to shooting Olugbemi multiple times and led police to the 9-mm handgun he used, charging documents obtained by Patch said.
A vigil remembered Olugbemi's life on June 27. He was laid to rest the next day.
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