Authorities in Illinois say a 14-year-old boy was killed Saturday evening in a shooting that broke out at a house party.
According to KTVI, the victim was identified as Belleville eighth grader Jaylon McKenzie, a football phenomenon who was recently the subject of a feature article in Sports Illustrated.
Another juvenile, a 15-year-old girl, was also shot at the residential gathering. She remained in critical condition as of the latest reports available.
McKenzie was transported from the scene to an area hospital, where he died a short time later.
The Central Junior High School student was picked by the sports magazine as one of the nation’s 16 top teen athletes.
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A statement from the school district indicated appropriate resources will be available to students dealing with the tragedy.
“School District 189 has learned that a few of our students were shot at a house party in Venice, IL at some point Saturday night,” the statement read, per CNN. “Few details are clear at this point. We do know that our youth, families and school staff have dealt with a number of tragedies and incidents of violence this year. We request space and time for them to appropriately grieve and come to terms with this latest impact of violence.”
A witness captured the aftermath on cellphone video, revealing apparent gunshots could still be heard after the arrival of police, as reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Police continue to investigate the shooting and are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the Illinois State Police anonymously by calling investigations case agent Scott Wobbe at 618-381-1467.
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