NEW ORLEANS — A scholar and an athlete, Edna Karr junior Keyron Ross, 18, was known by fellow classmates, teachers, and staff.
“Today is a painful day for our school community,” said InspireNOLA Charter Schools CEO Jamar McKneely
Number 48 on the football field, McKneely says Ross was just as dedicated in the classroom and always brought a sense of humor.
“He was one who liked to joke a lot,” said McKneely. “He was one who was definitely serious about his studies and his parents, especially his mother, really worked with him to try to get him to excel to a whole other level.”
On track to graduate and with plans to go to college, that was cut short Wednesday night. New Orleans police say someone started shooting at the car Ross was in on Texas Drive in Algiers. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition but didn’t survive.
The shooting comes just one day after fellow Edna Karr classmates bowed heads in unity before a basketball game Tuesday night. The student-led prayer for an end to youth violence and crime is a reminder of a harsh reality.
“I sometimes have it in the back of my mind if I go to this party, will I be the next one on a shirt. If I go to this game, will I be the next one on the shirt? It’s not a good feeling at all,” said Edna Karr senior Tayelor Kees before that game.
This is the second time in less than a year this school community has had to deal with students being victims of gun violence. Last spring, Caleb Johnson, 18, was killed in a triple shooting. His girlfriend, also a student, was shot but survived. McKneely says this should not be part of a student’s everyday life.
“As much as I might feel despair and hopelessness, my faith carries through on what we can do,” said McKneely. “I believe the cycle can be broken. I believe the cycle has to be broken because we can no longer have our youth in despair,” said McKneely.
It’s despair felt across the city, but one that hits hard on this school campus. So far, no arrests have been made in this case. If you know anything that could help, call the New Orleans Police Department.