From struggles to strength, Jackson was always home to man slain in shooting
JACKSON, MI — Anthony Owens Jr. wasn’t born in Jackson, but it was always his home.
Originally from Saginaw, he came to the city as a young boy in the early 1990s with his mother, Wanda Beavers, better known in Jackson as Mama Tu-Tu.
With only a few dollars in her pocket, they stayed in Jackson’s Interfaith Shelter together for a time until they could find permanent housing, she said.
Though life was challenging starting out in Jackson, he never wanted to leave.
“I asked him all the time if he wanted to move and he would always say ‘no, I like it here. This my home,’” Mama Tu-Tu said.
Owens died May 17 in a quadruple shooting that injured three others shortly after midnight at what Mama Tu-Tu said was a friend’s home in the 100 block of Lincoln Court, just south of the Jackson city limits.
No arrests have been made and the shooting remains under investigation.
He was 44 years old.
Related: Son of Jackson’s beloved ‘Mama Tu-Tu’ killed in quadruple shooting
“It still hurts so much to know he is gone, but I know he is in a better place now,” Mama Tu-Tu said. “He was baptized a year ago, so I have comfort knowing he was at peace with God and was welcomed into heaven.”
Mama Tu-Tu said she doesn’t know why her son or the others were shot at that night.
A testament to how many lives Owens touched, attendees filled Owens’ funeral services to capacity, standing shoulder to shoulder to say their goodbyes.
Owens’ 10-year-old son set up a display for his late father outside Mama-Tu-Tu’s home, spelling “Tony” using disposable cups on her chain-linked fence.
“He wanted to spell out Tony rest in peace, but he ran out of cups,” Mama Tu-Tu said.
Under his name now grows a row of flowers, Beacon White Impatiens, planted there unbeknownst to Mama Tu-Tu by an unknown benefactor.
“I don’t know who put those there, but they are an angel, and I thank them,” she said.
Owens was a factory worker in Jackson, Mama Tu-Tu said.
He had a great sense of humor, loved to travel and cared deeply about his health, never missing an appointment with his doctor, his mother said.
As a boy, he was an avid fan of boxing, picking up the skill through a boxing program offered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Center.
He was not without his own struggles, his mother said. Owens had several prior run-ins with violence, having been stabbed and shot years ago, Mama Tu-Tu said.
He had also served some time in jail for marijuana possession back before it was legal in Michigan, she said.
Owens turned his life around, though, and dedicated his it to his family, helping others and God, Mama Tu-Tu said.
His love for family extended beyond just his own as he welcomed and cared for the children of his long-time girlfriend, Gracia Gant, like they were his own, Mama Tu-Tu said.
The pair had been together for 25 years.
His favorite holiday was Independence Day. He enjoyed the day spending time with the whole family while assisting his mother at an annual cookout for the homeless outside her home.
He had planned to add a fish fry to the yearly tradition, and Mama Tu-Tu intends to carry out his plan. “He would want me still do it, so that’s what I’m gonna do,” she said.
All are welcome to the barbecue July 4 at Mama Tu-Tu’s house, 122 W. Biddle St., she said.
Mama Tu-Tu has been a beloved mother to the Jackson community for decades, welcoming everyone she meets with a smile and open kindness.
Owens is survived by his mother, father Anthony G. Owens Sr.; Gracia Gant; his children Anthony Owens III, Maylasia Owens and Akaysha Owens; stepchildren Keaira Gant, Da’Racia Gant, Jamarria Gant and Jamilah Gant; siblings Alicia Owens, Felicia Owens and Taitlyn Bankhead; and 12 grandchildren.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Detective Mark Easter at 517-768-7934.
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