A whole community gathered this past Sunday to mourn the loss of a 'budding preacher,' a teenage boy who was murdered after trying to sell his camera.
Matthiew Stavkovy, the fourth child in a family of six children, was fatally shot recently when he and his sister went to a park to meet up with someone wanting to buy their camera. The mobile site OfferUp was how the connection was initially made.
"On July 16th, 2024, at the age of 13, Matthiew's heart stopped beating after a tragic event took place at a park where someone decided to put a bullet through his back," said Michael Stavkovy, Matthiew’s older brother during the funeral.
Matthiew, his 15-year-old sister, and a friend of theirs went to Turnkey Park where they live in Kent, WA, with the intention of meeting up and selling their camera. According to the charging documents, 18-year-old Faysal Abdullahi arrived at the park with a male before a third male showed up wearing a face mask and brandished a pistol.
Matthiew's friend got knocked to the ground before the suspects stole the camera and equipment it came with. Realizing this was a robbery, Matthiew's sister grabbed his arm and started running toward their four-wheel ATV. The two were able to hop on the vehicle before they both heard a gunshot.
According to his sister, Matthiew, who was driving, looked down and realized he had been shot in the back. Shortly after he lost consciousness.
Taking over the ATV, his sister drove them both to nearby apartments to ask people for help. While some residents came to their aid and called 9-1-1, Matthiew died at the scene.
Four suspects were arrested, including Abdullahi. The others charged with robbery and murder in the first degree are Diavante Dunmore, 20, of Covington; Marsais Dunmore, 17, of Covington; and Semarias Woods, 16, of Kent. Even though he didn't pull the trigger, because Abdullahi set up the meeting, he is being charged with first-degree murder.
Remembering Matthiew's Faith
A teary-eyed family and the whole church congregation of Way to Salvation Church gathered on Sunday, July 28, for Matthiew's funeral.
"Everything he did, he did to the best of his ability," said his older brother Michael. "From serving God, to his schoolwork, playing sports and everything else in between."
The teenager often got up to speak in church, with the most recent time Matthiew shared the Prodigal Son story. A clip of this video was shared on X (formerly Twitter) and has already received 4 million views.
NEW: 13-year-old boy who went to sell a camera in a Seattle-area park, shot and k*lled by three teens during an orchestrated armed robbery.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 30, 2024
Horrific.
The incident happened at Turnkey Park in Kent, Washington.
Matthiew Stavkovy went to the park to sell a camera with his… pic.twitter.com/efAr9niSVZ
"Matthiew was very involved in church and making sure his life was solely devoted to living for the glory of God. Everything he did in his life reflected the bright light that Jesus Christ is. Matthiew was a young preacher of the Good News of Jesus Christ. He loved to sing with his family. He also sang in the kids' choir and was eagerly waiting until he could start singing in youth choir this fall. Matthiew played many instruments, starting with piano, guitar and trumpet with his band at church. He also memorized chapters in the Bible and would say it at church."
The most recent passage Matthiew was memorizing to share at church was Revelation chapter 21 which talks about a new heaven and a new earth.
"He was faithful in doing the little things. Matthiew was a bright shining star in this dark world that in just 13 years was able to do so much for the glory of God and impact so many people’s lives. May his life be an example to everyone on how to live their lives to the fullest for the glory of God."
PIC
