The St. Louis Post-Dispatch quoted police as saying that Jaylon McKenzie, an East St. Louis eighth-grader, was shot Saturday night at a party in Venice, about 5 miles northeast of St. Louis.
Jaylon McKenzie, an eighth-grader at Central Junior High in Belleville who was recently featured in Sports Illustrated as a football phenom to watch, was shot to death at a party in Illinois on Saturday night. #twill
https://t.co/VkZpGrdrZV pic.twitter.com/rUIZL6o9ys
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) May 5, 2019
Police say they found McKenzie with serious wounds, and he died at a hospital.
A 15-year-old girl was in critical condition at a hospital. No arrests have been made.
McKenzie drew national attention when he caught five passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns at the NFL’s 8th Grade All-American Game in Canton, Ohio, in August. He posted on social media that he had received football scholarship offers from the University of Missouri and University of Illinois.
Blessed to receive my second D1 offer from Illinois🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/9F4yzEXRDN
— Jaylon Mckenzie (@jaymckenzie06) April 29, 2019
He told Sports Illustrated his dream was to play in the NFL and be a star in Los Angeles for the Chargers or Rams.
So sad. Prayers to his family and friends.
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