8th grader who was already being recruited by Power 5 teams killed at party
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Awful news out of Illinois to pass along this Sunday.
Jaylon McKenzie, a standout all-purpose back East Saint Louis, Illinois, was shot and killed at a party in Venice Saturday night, according to KDSK. The 13-year-old’s mother told the station that McKenzie had walked outside to avoid a fight when he was hit by a stray bullet.
While only in 8th grade, McKenzie had already gained national attention. In November, Sports Illustrated included him in a feature “Six Teens Who Will Rule the Future in Sports.”
As a recruit, McKenzie had earned scholarship offers from Missouri and Illinois.
KDSK’s report notes police are expected to release more details later.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
