VICTORVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A star high school football player was shot to death on a Southern California street and police were searching for his killer.
Richard Reed Jr., 17, was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 11 p.m. Sunday on a corner in Victorville, about an hour's drive northeast of Los Angeles in San Bernardino County, authorities said.
No arrests were immediately made and details of the shooting or its motive weren't immediately released.
Reed attended Silverado High School in Silverado where he was on the honor roll and was a varsity player for the Hawks football team, according to a statement issued Monday by the Victor Valley Union High School District.
A linebacker and running back, he was named Desert Sky League defensive player of the year in 2021, according to the district.
“This is a heartbreaking loss for the students, staff, and families," district Superintendent Carl Coles said in the statement, which said the school was providing grief counseling resources on campus for students and staff “for as long as they are needed."
His family and teammates held a memorial vigil on Monday night.
Silverado head coach Keron Jones said the senior was among only a handful of students who started all four seasons at the varsity level.
“He was that good,” Jones told the Los Angeles Times. “His energy was infectious. He was so respected by his teammates.”
“Richard’s life was football, and his dream was always to pursue a professional career in the game that defined him," according to a GoFundMe page set up to help cover his funeral and burial costs.
Reed's team has a first-round playoff game scheduled for Friday evening and it will continue in his honor, officials said.
“Many of the players are still in shock, and when we heard the news today, football was the furthest thing from our minds,” Silverado High School Principal Heather Conkle said in the district statement. “But the players are also extremely unified right now. They want to play this game for Richard.”
