VENICE - The East St. Louis School District 189 confirmed in a release before noon on Sunday that one of their students was shot at a house party in Venice, IL., at some point Saturday night.
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The shooting victim has been identified as Jaylon McKenzie, a 13-year-old rising football star.
McKenzie had already received attention from Missouri and Illinois football programs, while only in eighth grade and was a player to watch for the future.
“Few details are clear at this point,” East St. Louis School District 189 said in a release. “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. Crisis teams will be present at the schools in the upcoming days to provide counseling and support to students and staff during this difficult time. We send our prayers to the families impacted by this violence and hope for healing for the victims."
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