Friends Remember Shooting Victim as 'Larger Than Life'

Friends called him "larger than life," eccentric, magnetic, funny, charismatic, a sweetheart, a gentleman, a lover and a dancer.

Joseph Allen Long was immersed in the Sacramento dance scene and had a way about him that shined. But the young Carmichael man's life was cut short when he was by a stray bullet early Saturday morning in Midtown after walking two women to their car, friends say.

Long was found shortly after midnight Saturday in a parking lot with a gunshot wound, which appeared to have been fired from across the parking lot, where two groups had been involved in an altercation. The incident occurred at 28th and J streets, a popular nightlife area that includes bars, clubs and restaurants.

No arrests have been made and police are looking to the public for answers.

In the days following his death, friends have gathered for a candlelight vigil and have shared memories and photos on a Facebook memorial group that included more than 700 people as of Monday night.

"He was a wonderful guy with a huge heart," said Scott Kaufman, a friend of Long's and owner of Midtown Stomp, a local dance venue. "He had a personality that was bigger than life – you really knew when he walked into a room."

He had a sense of grace and beautiful way of moving, said another friend, Lucinda Chrisman, who met Long of all places, on the dance floor. She recalls him wearing "almost nothing," which she later learned wasn't unusual for Long, who was confident and "really just loved himself."

"He was real good looking and loved the girls to love him," Chrisman said. But she also got to know another side of him that she described as smart, insightful and supportive. Chrisman, who is also a videographer and has done some work for Patch, interviewed him for a dance show, in which he shared some insightful, inspirational words, she said.

While shooting the video at the San Francisco Fusion Exchange, Long took part in the final dance scene with Chrisman, who described it as one of the most sexy, passionate dances ever. "And he gave me the dance of my life," she recalled.

"He's somebody, that when he shows up, doesn't blend into the wall, and everyone wants to dance with," Chrisman said. "It's a matter of waiting your turn."

While there's no bringing him back, friends hope that witnesses come forward with information that could help shed light on what happened.

"I hope that if someone knows something that they would come forward, call the police, do it anonymously, so that the people who did this can be brought to justice," Kaufman said.

Kaufman said Long died in a way that represents the kindness he embodied. "It's a real tragedy and it's a senseless act of violence that unfortunately took a great human being from a group of people that loved him dearly," he said. 

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Do you know Joseph Long? Please share a memory in a comment below.

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