KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The City of Knoxville is continuing to mourn the loss of a 16-year-old Austin-East Magnet High School student that lost his life on Friday from a shooting incident.
RELATED STORY: Knoxville city leadership pleads for tips in fatal shooting of 16-year-old student
The student has been confirmed as Stanley Freeman, Jr. That information was provided Sunday afternoon by the first-cousin of Freeman, Jr.’s father, his grandmother and his Algebra II teacher at Austin-East.
His teacher, Stephanie Hayes, also issued the following statement to WATE 6 On Your Side.
“Stanley was such a special piece of the A-E family. Whether it was his bright smile, a cheerful hello, or the respectful thank-you that always followed his questions, Stanley made the hallways and classrooms a positive place to be every day. He will be dearly missed by those of us that were impacted by his hard work and kindness daily.”
RELATED STORY: KCS Superintendent: ‘I am deeply saddened by the loss of another young life to senseless gun violence’
The Knoxville Police Department issued a release about the shooting, saying, “at this time, the victim does not appear to have been the intended target of the shooting.”
A community-wide vigil was held Sunday night at Jarnigan & Son Mortuary, located across the road from Austin-East. It included a candlelight vigil and balloon release in honor of Freeman, Jr.
A GoFundMe page has also been established in honor of Stanley. You can find that by clicking HERE.
Investigators are specifically requesting that any Austin-East students or parents who may have witnessed the shooting or have information relevant to the investigation contact the Violent Crimes Unit by phone at 865-215-7330 or email at racook@knoxvilletn.gov.
