Paso Robles homeless man killed by gunman is remembered as a ‘gentle and loving guy’
Friends and family of the Paso Robles man who was shot in the head early Wednesday morning are mourning his loss and remembering him as a “very gentle and loving guy.”
James Harding Watson, 58, was found dead at about 7 a.m. along the tracks near the Paso Robles train station at 8th and Pine streets, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.
Watson was found to have been shot in the head at close range. Police say Watson was killed by 26-year-old Mason James Lira, the same shooter who ambushed the Paso Robles Police Station early Wednesday morning and shot multiple law enforcement officers trying to apprehend him during a two-day manhunt.
It remains unclear whether Watson was shot prior to the police station ambush or after.
Lira was killed on Thursday evening off Vopli Ysabel Road and Ramada Drive in south Paso Robles after a shootout with law enforcement officers.
Paso Robles homeless community ‘scared and upset’
Watson was a valued member of the Paso Robles homeless community and was known to wear red suspenders around town, said Gail McNichols, a city homeless advocate and former director of Paso Cares.
“He was a very gentle and loving guy,” she said. “He was much beloved in his community.”
McNichols said Watson would “literally give away anything he was given” and would go out of his way to help others.
“He was a fragile guy,” she said. “He was protected by the other homeless folks because he could be victimized.”
Paso Robles’ homeless population was devastated by Watson’s death, and residents are worried Lira’s status as a homeless individual will further stigmatize them, McNichols said.
“The homeless community here is so scared and upset,” she said.
Family remembers ‘an awesome man’
Watson’s son, Johnny Watson, and his nephew, Joshua Watson, shared remembrances of James Watson in an email to The Tribune and on a GoFundMe page created to raise money for his family.
As of Friday evening, the GoFundMe page had raised $5,031 — $3,000 more than the original $2,000 goal.
They described him as “a good man who worked hard his whole life and just (happened) to be down on his luck recently.”
“But that didn’t define him,” they wrote. “His character as a man, a father, a brother, a son and an uncle is what defined him, and we all love him very much.”
Watson loved eagles, John Wayne movies and “of course listening to the king, Elvis Presley,” his family wrote.
“He was a big ol’ momma’s boy his whole life and was proud of that fact,” Watson’s family wrote. “He was protective of his family, a kind-hearted and loving big brother to his four sisters. He would give the biggest bear hugs every time he (saw) one of his sisters, no matter what. Sometimes his sisters disliked getting them because he would pick them up and hug them too tight. Although they would give anything to have one more hug now.”
Watson loved his family and was strong in his Christian faith, his family said.
“He was an awesome man,” they wrote. “He would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need even after being down on his luck — he was just that kind of man.”
This story was originally published June 12, 2020 at 4:30 PM.
