Tellis Shareem Stephens

Tellis Shareem Stephens was an 18‑year‑old from Jacksonville whose life mattered to the family and friends who knew him. Public records about Tellis’s personal interests and everyday life are limited in the sources available, but the fact that so many people sought to honor his memory after his death reflects that he was a real person whose loss was deeply felt.

On the evening of September 29, 2019, Tellis was found fatally shot on Lambing Road on Jacksonville’s west side. Local law enforcement treated his death as a homicide and the community and police asked for information that might help bring answers. News coverage of the event confirms the date and location and notes the city’s response in the days that followed.

Because there is no family-published obituary or funeral-home notice located in the public record that matches his full name and the exact date of death, many of the intimate details that typically appear in a remembrance — such as childhood memories, school activities, or quotes from relatives — are not available through the reliable sources consulted. What the public record does show is that Tellis was a young person whose life ended far too soon, and that his death prompted grief and calls for information from the community.

For those creating a memorial page: focus on the simple, verified facts and leave space for family contributions. If the family provides a funeral-home notice, obituary, photos, or personal remembrances, those materials can be used to create a fuller, more personal tribute. Until then, this remembrance holds to what is publicly verifiable while honoring Tellis’s life and the sorrow of those who survived him.