NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) - A Nacogdoches elementary school community came together Sunday night to remember a 12-year-old boy shot and killed on the Fourth of July.
Re’Darion Davis was a fifth-grade student at Emeline Carpenter Elementary School when he was fatally shot at Eastwood Terrace Apartments on July 4.
Paramedics rushed him to a local hospital before he was flown to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, where he died from his injuries.
Dozens of family members, classmates, teammates, teachers, and community members gathered in the school’s parking lot Sunday evening for a vigil that included prayers, a candlelight ceremony, and a balloon release.
Khalilah Jones, who taught Davis in third-grade reading, said she was devastated when she heard the news, and knew immediately she would be there to honor him.
“He was very smart and he loved life,” Jones said. “He was one of my favorite students.”
Jones said Davis had a smile she will never forget.
“He had one of those smiles - he could have done anything, anything, anything,” she said. “And he would give me that smile and it just made it, whatever he did, it wasn’t that bad.”
Jones said she hopes the vigil helps keep his memory alive and sparks a larger conversation about gun violence in the community.
“It’s important we remember him,” she said. “And I think this will bring some awareness to the gun violence in Nacogdoches.”
Nacogdoches Police Department spokesperson Brett Ayres identified 19-year-old Zamarion Douglas as the suspect after investigators determined he discharged a firearm toward Davis.
Douglas is facing charges in connection with the shooting.
Emeline Carpenter Elementary announced Davis’ passing on social media, describing him as a beloved member of the school community.
“Our school community is mourning his loss, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” a school spokesperson said.