Communities in FL and AZ mourn Willie Harvey, father of 4 killed in shooting

PHOENIX - A father of four is being remembered after being shot and killed at a West Phoenix apartment complex. 

Willie Harvey was killed when another man opened fire during an argument on Jan. 6.

His death shattered his community here and shook others across the country. 

Willie Harvey's loved ones say he was always trying to create positive change, and they weren't even aware of how many people he had positively impacted during his life. 

Now, those people are reaching out to share their disbelief and sadness about his murder. 

What they're saying:

"Willie was a gentle giant," says Shaneika Harvey.

Willie Harvey's siblings say even from across the country, Willie put family first.

"While he was a dynamic brother and everything to us and uncle, he was a great father. He was a father of four and he loved his children."

"Almost everything he did led with love and if you didn't believe in that, he was still gonna have the same take, leading with love," said Eugene Harvey.

Willie also had a family here in Arizona. He was part of The Arizona Roll Tide, a local football team in the Arizona Athletic Alliance Football League.

One of his teammates, Terrell Moore, provided FOX 10 with the following statement:

Hello this is Terrell Moore a teammate of Willie Harvey. I just wanted you to know that he was a gentle giant who cared deeply for others no matter the color or creed. He always had words of encouragement, filled with love and peacefulness. At first glance, being that he was very tall and with a deep voice, you would think he’s very serious, but he had a great personality and would keep a smile and laugh on everyone’s face. Playing alongside him was even that much better! He would show strength and humbleness at the same time. He cared deeply for his children and had a soft spot for all children, even my kids. He will be extremely missed and I’m so thankful for the opportunity to witness the gentle giant.

"He was a standup guy," said his teammate, Kyl Bodwin. "He taught me how to play the position of defensive tackle, he taught me different things. Different things at practice, tips and pointers, how to fix my stance. He took time out of his way knowing that he was a better athlete than me, but he was willing to help other people."

What we know:

Willie worked as a security guard at the Phoenix West Apartments near 27th Avenue and Indian School Road.

"We received emails and calls about how he was really trying to make a difference and change in the communities where he was a security guard," said Shaneika.

Willie's family says he was always on call at the apartment complex, but they are not sure if he was responding to a call on the fateful night.

On January 5, police say Willie was shot and killed by Javonte Harvey, a man of no relation to him.

Police say Harvey got into a fight with another man and gunshots were fired.

One of those bullets hit and killed Willie. Three other men were injured.

The crime rocked Willie's community both here and in Florida.

"It's a fallen brother. He was our guy. It's a tough loss, we just need to stop the senselessness," said Bodwin.

"Each person that we talk to have these stories to tell us about Willie, how he helped, how he came to their rescue with something and he died doing that unfortunately," said his sister, Lawanda Lecointe. 

What's next:

Javonte Harvey faces several charges in this case, including second degree murder.

He is being held on a $1.5 million cash-only bond.

Willie's family is raising money to get him back to Florida for a proper burial.

For those who wish to help, Willie's family set up a GoFundMe page for assistance.