A 15-year-old boy was shot and killed while getting off his school bus on Thursday, September 19, marking another tragic chapter for his family, who had already suffered the loss of another son earlier this year. The young victim, Earkavion Lee, was a freshman at Kendrick High School in Columbus, Georgia.
According to the police, Earkavion was shot around 4:30 p.m. in the 2300 block of Watkins Drive as he stepped off the school bus. Emergency responders transported him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:15 p.m. Later that day, Columbus police took 20-year-old Roannil Clanton into custody in connection with the shooting. Clanton has been charged with murder and six counts of aggravated assault.
Clanton is being held without bond. The authorities have not yet disclosed how they identified Clanton as a suspect, nor have they suggested a possible motive behind the shooting.
The Muscogee County School District issued a heartfelt statement following the tragedy.
The family lost another son, 18-year-old Earkus Porter Jr., in a similar violent incident earlier this year. Porter was shot and killed in February at Belvedere Park in Columbus. His family said Porter had been lured to the location where he was fatally shot.
Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson expressed his outrage at the latest incident, calling the violence senseless. “This is another gut punch for our community. We have lost too many young lives to gun violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with Earkavion’s family as they navigate this heartbreaking loss.”
The Muscogee County School District has mobilized its crisis intervention team to assist students and faculty at Kendrick High School in coping with the loss of their classmate. In the wake of Earkavion’s death, the district also rescheduled a football game that was set to take place between Hardaway High School and Kendrick High School. The game will now be held at a neutral location.
The investigation into the shooting continues, and while police have made an arrest, they are urging anyone with additional information to come forward. Authorities have not confirmed whether the shootings of Earkavion and his brother Earkus are connected.
