US teen dies shielding 3 friends in shooting
A 15-year-old high school football player in the US was killed while shielding three girls during a shooting spree in Tennessee, police said on Friday.
Zaevion Dobson was with his brother and a few friends when a group of men approached them and started firing randomly last Thursday.
He threw himself on top of three girls to protect them from the gunfire and was the only one who was shot, reported NY Daily News.
His brother, Zach Dobson, told TV station WBIR-TV: "We were just sitting on the porch chilling, and we see these random dudes walking up.
"I'm shocked. I'm really just shocked. I can't believe it, can't get it across my head."
Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch said the violence started miles away when a woman named Lisa Perry, 46, was shot while inside her apartment.
Her 23-year-old son, Brandon Perry, and several other men then drove to the neighbourhood where Zaevion lived and "randomly fired multiple times".
Brandon Perry was later found to have been shot after he crashed the car into another apartment. He died shortly after.
Mr Rausch said investigators think the shootings were gang-related, but there did not appear to be a motive to target Zaevion.
"Unfortunately, they picked a random group of young men and women who were just hanging out and trying to prepare to celebrate the holiday," he said.
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