Former dean: 16-year-old fatally shot in Detroit had 'so much life to live'
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A 16-year-old boy was gunned down while walking home from school in Detroit.
Elijah Reese was a sophomore at East English Preparatory Academy. He is remembered by his former dean and mentor, Toson Knight, as a funny kid who stayed out of trouble.
Detroit police said the shooting took place around 4 p.m. Wednesday, in the area of Bedford and I-94 – nearly two miles away from his high school.
Reese was "an outgoing kid with so much life to live, and I thought about that all last night. I couldn't even sleep," said Knight, who met Reese during his tenure at East English Preparatory Academy.
Witnesses say a group of teenagers were huddled around, talking, before Reese was shot and killed. It’s unclear if the shooter was with that group, or if someone else approached the teens.
Knight rushed to the scene – where the boy's family was doubled over, learning Reese was killed.
"I just couldn't believe it," he said. "There's no way to make sense (of it), and I think you hear these stories very often. It's unbelievable."
Detroit police are still investigating the incident.
As of Thursday night, no one is in custody in connection to the shooting.
"We have no reason to believe this act of violence was directly connected to the school or its students," according to the school. However, for the sake of safety, there will be an increased number of police officers stationed at the school for the remainder of the academic year.
After Reese was killed, East English Preparatory Academy closed on Thursday and will remain closed on Friday. Resources are in place to help students and staff process the student's death.
Knight met with Reese's family on Thursday. He said they are holding up just about as well as one could imagine.
"My heart goes out to them because they have to bury their child, and who ever wants to do that?" he said.
Teenage boy shot, killed at Bedford and I-94 in Detroit
A teenage male was fatally shot in Detroit Wednesday in the area of Bedford and I-94 Service Drive, according to police.