Fulton High School football player Zaevion Dobson was fatally shot Thursday after diving on top of three girls to shield them from the bullets, according Dan Jacobs of Knoxville News Sentinel.
Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch was seen holding back tears Friday in a news conference where he described how the 15-year-old sophomore high school student saved three girls by acting like a human shield. No other injuries were reported from the scene.
The shooting was just one of three shootings that happened that night, and one of the men involved in Dobson's death, Brandon Perry, died around 6 a.m. Friday from gunshot wounds, according to Jacobs.
Perry, 23, was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center after he had rammed a BMW through a brick wall in East Knoxville, according to Rausch. Perry and two other men are reportedly responsible for randomly firing guns on Badgett Drive just hours before crashing the vehicle. Rausch has stated that the investigation is still in the early stages.
"We think there is some connection with gangs," Rausch said about the three shootings. Perry was reportedly shot before the crash, and two other men in the vehicle jumped out of the car after the crash but were quickly caught by police, according to Jacobs. No firearms have been recovered at this time, and police have question the two men. The chief stated that he has ordered "additional resources" to be deployed due to the gang shootings.
"Our plea is for this community to pray for the families," said Rausch. "We should be celebrating the Christmas holiday, instead, now we have two young men who are dead."
Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, Fulton High School Principal Rob Speas, and Fulton football coach Rob Black all attended the news conference. "Only a sophomore, but very contagious young man very well liked by his team and teachers," said Black, via the Knoxville News Sentinel. The Fulton football coach planned to meet with the team on Friday to talk about the death of their teammate. The Knox County Schools have arranged for counselors to be available for students at this time.
