STT. 16-Year-Old Football Player Among Four Teens Killed in Series of Holiday Shootings
The holiday season is traditionally considered the season of light.
A time when the streets are ablaze with colorful decorations, families gather, and young people dream about the future.
But in central Florida, that light suddenly went out violently.
Between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, four teenagers were shot and killed.
Four lives, all left unfinished.
Four families, their lives changed forever.
And one community member left wondering how the celebration had so quickly turned into a funeral.
Among those killed were…Lil Raylin Harrison, a sixteen-year-old boy whose future once lay bright on the football field.
Lil Raylin is more than just a name on police reports.
He is a boy.
A teammate.
A student.
A young man with a life of direction, discipline, and dreams.
On Sunday night, just before 9 p.m., those dreams were interrupted.
Police said Lil Raylin was shot and killed near the intersection of 26th Street and Rio Grande Boulevard.
Gunshots echoed throughout the neighborhood, where residents were unaware that a child was about to be lost.
When the police arrived, there was nothing they could do to save his life.
The holidays continued to fall on the calendar, but time seemed to have stopped for his family.
Lil Raylin used to play soccer for…Dr. Phillips High School.
On the pitch, he is known for his strength and intense focus.
Off the pitch, he was known as a respectable person with a quiet determination.
He also played for the Florida Bombers, a team built on discipline and teamwork.
His coaches believed that football was more than just a game for him.
That’s the way forward.
A way out of danger.
A path to opportunity.
That path ended on a dark street instead of under the stadium lights.
News of his death spread quickly throughout the school and community.
The whole class fell silent.
The lockers are still locked.
His teammates were baffled as to how someone they had trained with could be gone in the blink of an eye.
At a time when joy should have filled the space, sadness took its place.
Local activistKelvin CobarisA member of the New Life Church said he was deeply saddened.
He spoke not only as a community leader, but also as an adult who had witnessed this model firsthand.
“I am deeply shocked and saddened by the news of gun violence,” Cobaris said.
He had heard many stories about Lil Raylin’s talent and discipline.
But hearing that he had been shot dead was a completely different story.
Something even more painful.
This is something that should never happen to a child.
Lil Raylin’s death is not an isolated tragedy.
It was part of a wave of violence that began on Christmas Eve.
A wave swept away young lives one by one.
Also on that holiday, police received a report of another shooting.
Seventeen years oldJamar JeromeHe was shot dead near PGA Boulevard.
His life ended before Christmas.
In that case, police said a suspect was subsequently arrested.
But before that, chaos had already broken out.
According to investigators, as the officers got out of their vehicle, another man began firing at them.
Bullets struck a law enforcement vehicle.
Everyone’s lives are at risk.
Orange County SheriffJohn MineDescribe that moment in a straightforward manner.
“As our officers got out of the car, the man fired at them, hitting the car,” he said.
Even those who vowed to protect were put in danger.
The violence didn’t stop there.
On Christmas Day, while families were opening presents and sharing meals, another child was taken away forever.
The thirteen-year-old girlEmony JacksonThe body was found shot dead inside a house on Okada Court Road.
She was only thirteen years old.
He’s just a teenager.
Later, investigators arrested a fifteen-year-old boy.
He told them that the shooting was an accident.
Despite that claim, he is now facing charges of manslaughter (unintentional homicide).
For the Emony family, these explanations offered no comfort.
Her aunt,Cynthia WilliamsSpeaking through tears.
“She loves everyone,” she said.
“It’s very difficult.”
That’s very difficult.
We will cry a lot.”
A young girl who should have been thinking about school and friendships is instead remembered in sorrow.
Her laughter stopped abruptly.
Her future was wiped out.
However, the violence continues.
Late on Christmas Day, police in Volusia County had to respond to another shooting.
Seventeen years oldBrendan WatkinsThe body was found shot near El Campo Road in Deltona.
Detectives believe the shooting may have occurred during a failed robbery attempt.
No suspects have been arrested yet.
The outlook remains slim.
Many questions remain unanswered.
For Brendan’s family, the wait was unbearable.
Four teenagers.
Four people died.
All of this happened during days that should have been dedicated to celebration and peace.
This rule cannot be ignored.
Children, with their whole lives ahead of them, are now having access to guns.
Escalating disputes can lead to irreversible consequences.
Moments of impulsiveness can become a lifelong sentence for the families left behind.
Kelvin Cobaris argues that the responsibility doesn’t rest solely with children.
He believed that adults needed to intervene before tragedy occurred.
“The goal is to create an atmosphere where people can participate actively, avoiding shooting or fighting,” he said.
He also believed that parents had a responsibility.
Guns don’t just fall into the hands of children for no reason.
They are accessible.
They were left unprotected and neglected.
They have been standardized.
Cobaris hopes lawmakers will take action.
“We need state legislators to enact laws that hold parents accountable if their children possess weapons they should never have,” he said.
His words reflected growing frustration.
This is a shared concern among teachers, coaches, pastors, and police officers.
How many more names need to be added to the list?
How many more prayer services need to be held?
How many more jerseys need to be permanently retired?
The story of little Raylin Harrison is particularly heartbreaking because it once held so much hope within it.
Football has given him stability.
The community supported him.
But even those protective measures weren’t enough to shield him from a bullet.
His teammates will always remember his determination.
His family will always remember his smile.
His community will forever remember the silence that descended after news of his death was announced.
The holiday is over.
The decorations will be removed.
But the pain will last.
Four young lives have been lost since Christmas Eve.
Four reminders that the festival would be meaningless if children were not safe.
And there are four unanswered questions that Central Florida can no longer ignore.
