Black Vandy signee gets capped by Narjaketha's (his momma) ex-boyfriend. At least Rajaan had a good smile.
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/vandy-recruit-killed-in-murder-suicide
<h3>POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. (AP)</h3>
A high school football star who had signed to play at Vanderbilt
University was shot to death early Thursday by his mother's
ex-boyfriend shortly after police arrived to investigate a report
of a person with a weapon, authorities said.
Officers heard four or five gunshots around 2:30 a.m. as they
arrived at the home where Rajaan Bennett, 18, lived with his
mother, said Powder Springs Maj. Charles Spann. Inside they found
Bennett, a running back at McEachern High School who was rated
among Georgia's top college football prospects, dead of a gunshot
wound.
Boyd said Clifton Steger, 39, of Milledgeville shot Bennett
and then killed himself. Bennett's uncle, Taiwan Hunter, 32, was
wounded and underwent surgery. He was in critical condition
Thursday afternoon. His mother, Narjaketha Bennett, and two other
children were unharmed.
It was not clear what prompted the shooting, but Spann said
there was no sign of a struggle. He also said there had been no
previous reports of domestic violence at the west Georgia home.
"We are still investigating," he said. "We won't make any
assumptions until we finish our investigation."
McEachern football coach Kyle Hockman said while Bennett
excelled on the football field - he rushed for more than 1,800
yards and 28 touchdowns last season - he also led an exemplary life
outside of sports.
"He was an All-State football player, but he was a better
person," he said. "He touched the lives of thousands."
Bennett picked Vanderbilt over other schools because he felt
it would help better prepare him for life after football, Hockman
said. Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson said in a statement that
Bennett "was an extraordinary young man and an ideal fit" for his
program.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his mother Narjaketha and
family members," he said. "I know he meant so much to them."
Bennett, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., had an outsized
reputation at McEachern, a sprawling school on the outskirts of
west Atlanta that sports a football field in the middle of campus.
"We have a population of 2,200 kids, and when you're Rajaan
Bennett, you touch the lives of all 2,200," said principal Regina
Montgomery, who added that counselors will be on hand to help
students.
More than 100 hundred students gathered at a somber
candelight vigil in the pavement surrounding a park near the
school, singing songs and sharing stories about Bennett. A poster
sat near the middle of the vigil that read: "God only takes the
best."
"He always had a smile on his face. He was definitely a
leader. He was no follower," said Keyon McGhee, a 17-year-old
senior. "It will be hard to get over this. Everybody knew him, even
the freshmen."
