A young graduate who was celebrating his high school graduation at his Arkansas school dance reportedly lost his life overnight from Saturday to Sunday after being shot to death in an attack orchestrated by a former student of the establishment.
“Our hearts ache for the tragic loss of our beloved Grade 12 student…and our deepest condolences extend to his family, classmates, friends and our entire school community affected by this senseless act of violence,” the Helena-West Helena school district administration responded on its website, according to NBC News on Monday.
Around 1 a.m., prom celebrations at Central High School in Helena-West Helena took a tragic turn when one of the students, Lorenzo Harrison III, was allegedly shot and killed , while the after-prom party was in full swing a few kilometers from the school.
According to a police statement, a former high school student, Donterious Stephens, 19, is suspected of pulling the trigger, killing the 18-year-old student.
The young man was arrested a few hours later and charged with first degree murder and possession of firearms “by certain persons”, according to the American media, an offense which applies to those who would have previously been convicted of criminal offenses related to a firearm.
“The deceased will be transported to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, where an autopsy will determine the cause and manner of death,” the police force said in writing on Sunday.
For its part, the school district’s crisis team said it would be there early this week to provide counseling and support to grieving classmates, according to NBC News.
“Together, may we honor his memory and work to heal the wounds inflicted by this tragedy,” we read.
