‘It is absolutely senseless’: School district officials discuss impact of slain Kendrick High Schools student

COLUMBUS, Ga. ( WRBL ) — Thursday afternoon saw the shooting death of a Kendrick High School freshman. Now, Muscogee County School District officials are talking about its impact.

Muscogee County School District Police Chief Greg Arp described the shooting death of 15-year-old Earkavion Lee by saying, “It is absolutely senseless, horrible, destructive act that needs to stop.”

Though the shooting was not on school grounds, the first call about it came from a school bus driver. The call lead to a rapid response from MCSD police to the Watkins Drive and Wilkens Drive crime scene. The murder investigation was turned over to the Columbus Police Department.

Thursday, Columbus police took 20-year-old Roannil Clanton into custody. Clanton is being charged with murder in connection to Lee’s death, in addition to six counts of aggravated assault.

Arp says violence like this is not happening only in small communities. More needs to be done, he added.

“Across this town, across town, these young men and women are losing their lives over nothing.  And it needs to stop,” Arp said. “As a community, we have to do better. We have to be more proactive with these young people.”

Friday saw councilors at Kendrick High School help students and faculty. Lee was a freshman at the school.

Arp says having conversations deters events like this from taking place.

“That’s why we’re in the schools trying to … build that rapport so that we can talk and have conversations and try to deter some of this from happening.” Arp said.

Cure Violence is sponsoring a candlelight vigil to remember those who have fallen to gun violence in Columbus.

It will be held tomorrow night at the old Walmart at 4701 Buena Vista Road. It is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.

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