MARINETTE, Wis. (WFRV) – It was a solemn candlelight vigil with an anti-bullying message.
The Marinette community gathered to remember 13-year-old Jakob Bowerman, who passed away last week. His family tells Local 5 News that two people pushed Jakob off the government pier in Marinette, and he drowned.
Marinette police officers said they have a 16-year-old and a 21-year-old in custody in relation to the drowning. The district attorney tells Local 5 News that they would likely announce any potential charges on Thursday.
Family members tell Local 5 News that Jakob had autism and often faced bullying. They said this was especially devastating because Jakob was the nicest kid who tried to be friends with everyone and made sure everyone was included in activities.
“A very nice person, he had good humor, and he was just a nice guy, we liked to play video games,” one of Jakob’s friends told Local 5 News after the vigil.
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“He was very nice, very kind, and he wouldn’t judge anybody,” said another one of Jakob’s friends.
The vigil was at the government pier in Marinette, where Jakob drowned. It included a prayer, songs, and chances for people to recount their favorite memories of Jakob. There’s also now a memorial with candles, balloons, and signs in honor of Jakob near the pier.
“Justice for Jakob is number one,” said vigil organizer Melissa Barber when asked what her goals were for the vigil. “I want our community to step in and intervene even when you might feel weird doing it (when you see someone being bullied). See what that situation is about, maybe you can save a life.”
At the vigil, Barber also emphasized the importance of being kind to each other and standing up to bullies. Another woman who spoke said she’s trying to get traction on a new law in Jacob’s name that would hold bullies accountable if a child dies by suicide or murder as a result of bullying.
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Brooklyn and Lexi, two freshmen from Menominee, came to the vigil even though they didn’t know Jakob personally. They said his story inspired them to try to make a difference at their school through anti-bullying initiatives.
“If we could help out at our school, it could make a difference, maybe a slight difference, maybe a big difference,” Lexi told Local 5 News. “Tell people you’re not alone during this process, and like if you ever need somebody, this whole community that came out to support Jacob will help you.”
A GoFundMe to help the family can be found here.
