High Schooler Killed While Shielding Girls From Gunfire

It appears to be random, gang-related violence
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Dec 18, 2015 4:04 PM CST
High Schooler Killed While Shielding Girls From Gunfire
   (Shutterstock)

A high school football player was killed as he shielded three girls from gunfire as several men went on a shooting spree in Tennessee, police said Friday. The shootings that killed Zaevion Dobson, 15, began Thursday night, said Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch. The first person shot was Lisa Perry, 46, who was inside her apartment at the time. She is expected to survive. Rausch said Perry's 23-year-old son, Brandon Perry, and several other men then drove to the neighborhood where Dobson lived and "randomly fired multiple times." The girls shielded by Dobson were not hurt, he said.

Brandon Perry was later found to have been shot after he crashed a car into another apartment. He died from his injuries on Friday morning. Two other men who fled from the crash were arrested, though one was later released after being questioned. Rausch said investigators think the shootings are gang-related, but he said there didn't appear to be a motive to target Dobson. "Unfortunately, they picked a random group of young men and women who were just hanging out and trying to prepare to celebrate the holiday," he said. Dobson was a sophomore at Fulton High School in northern Knoxville. (More shooting stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X