By Dawn Burleigh

dawn.burleigh@orangeleader.com

 

Family and friends mourn the loss of a young man descried as a prankster who brought laughter and smiles to everyone.

Jeremiah Aaron Klinkhammer, 20, died Wednesday night after an apparent gunshot wound to his chest.

Orange police officers responded to calls of shots being fired at 8:13 p.m. near the large parking lot at 111 Pine Street in Orange.

“He was an April’s Fool’s baby,” MaryLou Klinkhammer, mother, said. “He was always joking. He had friends everywhere.”

Jeremiah has two older brothers, Jake, 24, and Joshua, 22. He also has a sister, Juliann, 14.

“Everyone loved him dearly,” Jake said. “He never met a stranger.”

He was a caring person who offered morale support to his friends when they were feeling down.

“A friend of his told me about Jeremiah picking him up at 6 a.m. and driving around with him to help prevent his friend from committing suicide,” Jake said. “He was such a positive person.”

The image Jake holds dear to is the memories of Labor Day weekend when they went to the beach together with friends.

“We were sitting on the back of the truck. Everyone was laughing and he was throwing the football around,” Jake said. “He brought everyone’s happy side out.”

MaryLou, Jeremiah’s mother, spoke of a time Jeremiah took a friend to a business to get a job.

“Jeremiah got hired instead,” MaryLou said. “He did not take the job because his friend did not get hired. That is the type of person he was.”

No arrests have been made at this time.

This is an ongoing investigation according to the Detective Division of the Orange Police Department press release.

“We have spoken to several persons of interest and hope to speak to more,” Captain Robert Enmon said. “A person of interest does not mean suspects. It could be witnesses.”

Enmon also said the police are still processing evidence in the case.

“We have had a lot of cooperation from citizens,” Enmon said. “We have had several people speak to us.”

Visitation service for Jeremiah Aaron Klinkhammer is at 10 a.m. at Community Christian Church in Orange. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Community Christian Church in Orange.

Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Orange.

A gofundme account has been set up to help the family with funeral expenses. To make a donation visit https://www.gofundme.com/2rxx9pg