The two that have been charged with anything but murder have more than ties to Pleasanton. They were both star athletes at Amador, one having recruits for football watching.

@ OpenCA I guess murderers and accomplices to murder come in all sizes and shapes.

@openca I guess athletes can be murderers too

@openca I guess they threw that all down the drain when they were involved with murdering a 19-year old boy who had “more than ties” to Pleasanton as well.

@openca honestly, what does that have to do with anything? You do know athletes can be murderers, right?

@ OpenCa What an astounding thing to realize that someone can be both a star athlete, and a brutal murderer! How gives a f *** about his FoOtBaLl ReCrUiTs when they’re something mentally wrong with him? Any human with the capacity to do this to another human in any case other than self defense is clinically insane.

Justice, let’s not give them an excuse to declare temporary insanity.

@openca, athlete, movie star, popular, criminal—OJ Simpson. Possibly a murderer too; we will likely never know.

@OpenCA, well now they will be notorious for this horrible and senseless act. Unfortunately, there are lots of examples of "star athletes" engaging in criminal conduct. I hope we can put the focus back where it belongs--that the life of a beautiful and kind young man was cut way too short. #JusticeforJackson

Condolences to the family. I can see why parents want to keep their children home, close.

wow!!! what a terrible loss! I hope the suspects are locked up for life, that’s what they deserve!! My prayers go out to the family and friends who were lucky enough to know this handsome, and very kind young man. Justice for Jackson!

@openca I was told the older one Isaiah Howard was a bully to many at Amador. Guess it looks like those scholarships are down the toilet now.

Let’s not all forget why them boys went to meet Jackson, to buy drugs.. so let not sugar coat this, they were all wrong. It doesn’t justify him being killed, but let’s not call the kettle black . Jackson wasn’t the perfect kid (removed because it was not verified]

@Both Sides
Sounds like you know an awful lot about the drug business in Pleasanton.
And it was mentioned in the article that they were investigating the “possibility“ about drugs. Not confirmed. And does that warrant a stabbing and being killed? [removed] Apparently you have all the answers and evidence right?
Hopefully it won’t be your child it happens to next. Why would you even bother commenting [removed] unless you were a very bitter person? Where’s the compassion for the victim and his family? And why do you call yourself both sides? What a joke.

@Both sides, really sad and disgusting that you chose to blame the victim following what was a positive article where the family was describing their terrible loss. You have no compassion. And, "both sides," really? What kind of person shames and blames the victim for his death when he isn't here to defend himself? There is a big difference between drug sales (which hasn't even been proven yet), and robbery and murder. Frightening that you don't see that.

@bothsides

AND!? How is this relevant at all? Are you perfect? Comparing murder to[removed] is not even an equal comparison. This motive was not confirmed. But it is a fact that those disgusting people took his life. [removed] Jackson was a great person... he did not deserve this. If you did your research you would see the hundreds of posts/comments from classmates of his.

Does anyone Remember Aaron Hernandez!Just because you are a star athlete, that doesn't mean you can't be a THUG.

To the family of Jackson. I am so sorry this has happened and it doesn't matter where people are trying to shame him or parent shame. He was a young man, perhaps making some choices that were not in his best interest, but that doesn't erase the heartache his family feels..... I get so tired of parent shaming... You can do everything right, love and instill the most important rules, but at some point a young person will go left or right....ah, if only for a minute. He will always be a beautiful young man to his family and God bless his Mama.... Sincerely, k <3

I have heard from those that knew Jackson that he was a really good kid while at Amador. In fact he and one of the suspects played sports together while attending high school. Not sure why he left Amador but assume it was to further his judo training. With that said, people change with time and if in fact he was dealing drugs of any kind that is a world filled with violence. The choices we make have consequences and sometimes we lose control of the outcome.

How was it determined, who determined this kids murder involved drugs?

From my perspective, the presence of drugs could be considered relevant in the sense that if they were involved (whether being purchased or sold), neither of which have been confirmed and are therefore merely speculations, that there lies some, slight responsibility on Jackson's end. Does that mean this tragedy was his fault (assuming drugs were involved)? NO. That murder is somehow justified if drugs were involved? NO. I hope whoever is responsible for Jackson's murder faces retribution. That said, if drugs were involved, there's something to be said for accountability, acknowledging that with every reward there is also a risk. Murder under almost any circumstance is inexcusable ("almost" referring to cases of self-defense), but sometimes the inexcusable and unimaginable does happen, and while we cannot control the actions of others, we are responsible for our own actions - actions which can sometimes contribute to tragic outcomes. There's no denying that the burden of this tragedy lies with the murderer (that's self-explanatory), but let's not forget the power of our own actions and their impact.

I'd also like to add that using or taking part in drug related activity does not inherently make someone a "bad" person, character is the principal determinant when judging one's morality. There are plenty of good people, good kids, who find themselves involved with the stuff, and maybe it's a bad decision, but it doesn't make the person or kid "bad" and certainly should not distort anyone's "legacy". I can't speak for Foothill students, but having graduated from Amador last year, I can attest to there being a drug problem, which has only seemed to grow with the rise in vaping. If the investigation later confirms that the purchasing and selling of drugs were involved in this case, I can only hope that students who use take a minute to reflect on how their actions, their demand for drugs, creates a market for something that is not only illegal, incredibly destructive and harmful to the body, but also has the potential to cause great harm through their distribution.

Finally, my deepest sympathies to his family, especially his sisters - based on the stories kids in my grade have shared (I never knew Jackson personally), it sounds like you raised one hell of a young man whose character and personality will continue to influence countless numbers for years to come. I am so truly sorry for your loss.

But if we arrest them they might get covid?

First of all, my sincere condolences to Jackson's family. Whether drugs were involved or not, Jackson did not deserve to die. The focus should be putting those responsible behind bars, covid or not! I am appalled that they are out on bail. They brutally killed him and justice needs to be served now. #justiceforjackson

There is no feel good outcome to this, we can say all the platitudes and get upvoted all we want, but at the end of the day he was stabbed to death. Stabbing is up close and personal, so either the victim was a really good guy who at an ill fated moment crossed paths at the wrong time with two psychopaths who went to Amador, or he made some bad life decisions that ultimately enraged the two “star athletes” from Amador enough for them to allegedly kill him in such a brutal manner, unless of course after they left someone else came up and killed him. There are some very hard questions to ask and I don’t know if this community has the stomach to want the answer.

Remember the homeowner that got beaten into a coma a few years back by some local high school kids just for asking them to quiet down while parked down his street? Remember how nothing ever came of it? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

Beautiful article. Jackson sounds like an amazing young man. I hope PPD is doing everything they can to put these horrible people in jail for life! Is there outside help being brought in?? Pleasanton hasn’t had a murder in years, everything needs to be done to make sure this family gets justice. Thanks for the update, but these suspects were arrested more than 3 weeks ago... Who knows this Howard isn’t hiding more evidence while out on bail? I hope this minor is charged as an adult! You 100% know what you are doing when you bring a knife anywhere!!!

“Remember the homeowner that got beaten into a coma a few years back by some local high school kids just for asking them to quiet down while parked down his street? Remember how nothing ever came of it? Pepperidge Farm remembers.”
[Removed because it was false]

I know the victim. He was liked and a friend to many. This is evident by reading the different social media platforms. FB insta, twitter and snap. Like most teens, he was navigating through life trying to figure it out. For those who are perfect, please step outside of your ivory tower for a moment and be real. A large percentage of teens need to make mistakes and learn, this is how you grow. If you have children, you are not exempt. Regardless of what Jackson may have been doing, which is only speculation. These thugs, planned to cause bodily harm. These individuals are out wondering our community, possibly looking for more targets. What really upsets me is that some are blaming the victim. That is outrageous! As a community, we should rally to support the victim and his friends/family. A lot is known about the victim, but not too much about the suspects. Why was the 19 yo’s mug shot not released? Could he live in your neighborhood? I have read that the suspects are brothers and that they are both out of jail. That is crazy! A brutal crime has been committed against one of our own, yet these thugs walk freely amongst us. Not a good feeling and the community needs to be very concerned. Condolences to Jackson’s family and friends. Jackson, we will never forget you and will fight for #justiceforjackson

Maybe those thugs were just, “navigating through life trying to figure it out” too.

While entirely possible that the victim had zero “reason” to being attacked, it’s highly improbable. And let’s be clear, in no way, regardless off involvement or lack of involvement, was he deserving of death/harm/etc.

But our responsibility as parents and community members is to teach our kids about decisions, actions, and consequences. And certain actions and decisions come with higher impact and probability of consequences. This individual is gone and his friends and family will forever feel that loss, but his death doesn’t have to go without serving a greater purpose of possibly helping someone else from avoiding from making a bad choice (assuming he was involved in illegal activity).

@pleasantonparent
Are you defending murderers? Putting blame on his parents?Because if so that is ridiculous, and pretty low of you. If anyone deserves blame it is the people that murdered Jackson, and the parents that raised murderers!

Justice,
No. I’m absolutely not saying that, re-read please.

[Post removed pending verification]