This is a real bummer of a way to start off a Monday. 21-year old business owner and sneakerhead Jamaal “Mally” Gaines was shot and killed at his Rahway, NJ sneaker store East Coast Boutique over the weekend. The young businessman had started his sneaker selling enterprise when he was just 18 years old, and only opened the NJ location a few years ago.
No motive or suspects has been identified in the crime. Mally’s heartbroken mother Tina Wilson expressed her frustration and sadness at the pointlessness of her son’s death. “They didn’t get any money. They got nothing, so he was killed for nothing. They got nothing. Just shoot him for what?”
Nicekicks spoke with SoleyGhost, Mally Gaines’ business partner, about their relationship and who Mally was as a person. SoleyGhost explained that “his dedication to [his family] was like nothing else. he would tell me about how he was going to have a huge week because he was going to earn a certain amount of money to cover a bill for his family.” Ghost also added, “Mally was a 21-year old kid who motivated a 32-year-old man more than anyone.”
The community has been devastated by the news, and have come out to show support for the late entrepreneur. His friends and family have vowed to keep the East Coast Boutique open in memory of Jamaal Gaines.
If you have any information about the murder, please contact New Jersey’s Union County Prosecutor’s Office.
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