David Lawler

David Lawler was a 21-year-old resident of San Bernardino whose life was part of the fabric of his family and local community. Though public records and contemporary news coverage primarily document the tragic end of his life, those same reports make clear he was known to friends and relatives who gathered to grieve and remember him.

David grew up and lived in San Bernardino, surrounded by family ties that included close relationships with his half-brother Terry Freeman and cousin Kavin (sometimes written as Kevin) Johnson. Those connections were central to how others described him in the hours after his passing — as someone who spent time with family and friends in familiar local places.

On May 16, 2014, David’s life ended in a violent event that also took the lives of two relatives. News outlets from the region reported that he was 21 years old and was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center after the shooting; he later died from his injuries. The San Bernardino community responded with mourning and a vigil at the gathering place where the men had been socializing, a sign that David’s death was felt by neighbors, friends, and family who wanted to honor his memory.

Public coverage from reliable local outlets and the county coroner confirms the basic facts of his age, residence, and date of death; beyond those facts, the public record about David’s personal history is limited. No family-published obituary or funeral-home notice matching the exact date of death was located in major obituary repositories or local funeral home listings during this research. That scarcity of published remembrance does not diminish the reality that David mattered to people who knew him.

This page honors David by recognizing him first as a person — a son, a brother, a cousin, and a neighbor in San Bernardino. While the broader public record concentrates on the circumstances surrounding his death, the memory of David rests with those who knew his voice, his presence, and the moments he shared with family and friends. May this brief remembrance acknowledge his humanity, the ties he held in life, and the sorrow his passing brought to those who loved him.