Jaylon McKenzie, 8th grade football phenom already counting college offers, shot and killed at Illin

[applegrove]

Last edited Sun May 5, 2019, 09:46 PM - Edit history (1)

Jaylon McKenzie, 8th grade football phenom already counting college offers, shot and killed at Illinois party

By Amir Vera and Rebekah Riess, CNN

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/05/05/us/illinois-8th-grade-football-star-killed/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F

"SNIP.....

The 14-year-old from Belleville, Illinois, was an eighth-grader who already had college offers from University of Missouri and University of Illinois. He was featured in the Future Issue of Sports Illustrated in November 2018 along with five other teen sports stars. He wanted to be a pro star in California, playing for either the Los Angeles Rams or Chargers.

Those dreams died late Saturday when Jaylon was shot and killed at a party, his mother, Sukeena Gunner, told CNN.

Around 11:40 p.m. Saturday night, Illinois State Police said in a release, numerous law enforcement agencies responded to reports of a disturbance and shots fired at a large party in Venice, near the Illinois-Missouri border.

Jaylon had been at that party when a fight broke out, Gunner said. Jaylon walked outside to leave the party, and a stray bullet hit him. He and a 15-year-old girl were taken to a hospital where Jaylon died a short time after, police said. The girl is in critical condition, police said.

.....SNIP"

And this:

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/05/05/us/north-carolina-cop-shooting/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FiumFeHmN6P&rm=1

[applegrove]

1. We have to do something about guns. Get caught with an illegal one? go

to jail is what my police chief in Ottawa wants to see longer sentences for to stop the growth of gangs. Yup we have a growing gun problem in Canada. And just as in the US there is hunger for gun control. But we don't have the NRA so we will get it done. I hope the US can.

[Blue_Tires]

2. Since when did 8th graders get college offers?

[RainCaster]

3. Since when do 8th graders die of gunshots?

This is not the world I grew up in, when I grew up the NRA was all about gun safety, not the Russians.

[Drahthaardogs]

11. Why is an 8th grader at a party at 11:40?

In my world tat didn't happen either

[cwydro]

14. I wondered the same.

[wellst0nev0ter]

15. Yeah, blame the kid

And you're right, middle school kids never had late night parties in your day

[former9thward]

21. If that question didn't immediately come into your head I have to assume you have not

been a parent.

[USALiberal]

4. That is your concern????? Nt

[Blue_Tires]

13. Not my only one, but that was the first question that popped into my mind...

[irisblue]

19. 🕯️

[lunatica]

6. What a weird question

Really? That’s what you think this story is about?

[petronius]

8. It sounds odd, but has been increasingly prevalent over the last decade, and more so for girls

The NCAA seems to be tightening the rules, as the outcomes aren't always positive for students (lots of transfers, for instance) and the tween-age timing is verging on the ridiculous...

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/27/sports/committing-to-play-for-a-college-then-starting-9th-grade.html?module=inline

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/sports/ncaa-recruiting-early.html

[erpowers]

16. It Happens More Than You Think

This happens much more than you think. There is some debate as to whether or not colleges should wait until kids are older to start recruiting them.

[Glimmer of Hope]

5. That is so tragic. Make it stop.

[smirkymonkey]

7. How awful!

Poor kid. I am so sorry for him and his family. And for the girl who was shot. What is wrong with this world? I feel sick.

[uponit7771]

10. +1

[Recursion]

12. I wish we spent half the energy on handguns that we do on rifles

If I had a magic wand and could either make handguns or AR-15s disappear, I would pick handguns.

[LibFarmer]

17. This is sad

We are killing our future generation with such an easy supply of guns.
My heart goes out for that family.

[displacedtexan]

18. So very sad! I watched an interesting British show with WWII gun stats yesterday

The show is called Murder Maps, and each episode details the Who, What, When, Where, & How gruesome murders took place from Jackie Ripper to the 1950's. It's extremely well done, and one fact struck me as truly significant: During WWII, there was a huge spike in homefront deaths because of the sudden spike in the shear number of guns.

It's so sad to imagine how happy Jaylon's life could've been, had there not been random people with ready access to deadly guns. Heavy sigh.

[pintobean]

20. Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott offers to pay for funeral

According to our news partners at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, former John Burroughs star athlete and current Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott reached out to McKenzie’s mother, Sukeena Gunner, with an offer to pay for her son’s funeral. Gunner said two other NFL players contacted the family with offers to help but asked to remain anonymous.

In addition, Gunner’s sorority sisters launched a GoFundMe campaign to help the family with the funeral and additional expenses.

https://fox2now.com/2019/05/08/ezekiel-elliott-offers-to-pay-for-funeral-for-slain-belleville-football-player/

[applegrove]

22. .