Teen baseball star Jericho Scott killed in drive-by shooting
theGRIO REPORT - A Connecticut teen was killed Sunday during a drive-by shooting in New Haven...
A Connecticut teen was killed Sunday during a drive-by shooting in New Haven.
Jericho Scott, 16, was sitting in a car with his 20-year-old friend, Justin Compress, when the shooting occurred. Compress was also shot and injured but is now in stable condition, reports the Hartford Courant.
The shooting is the city’s fourth homicide of 2015.
Scott became an internet sensation at the age of 9 when he was banned from his youth baseball league because his pitch was too fast.
Watch a full report on the teen baseball star’s tragic death below:
Scott rose to fame in 2009 as the star pitcher of the Will Power Fitness team in the Youth Baseball League of New Haven. The league told Scott he could no longer pitch after five no-hitters out of eight of the team’s first games. When Scott went out to the mound anyway, the opposing team refused to play.
The team was eventually disbanded after lawyers were hired, but not before Scott’s story was all over the internet.
“I think it’s discouraging when you’re telling a nine-year-old you’re too good at something,” his mother said at the time. “The whole objective in life is to find something you’re good at and stick with it.”
“I’d rather he spend all his time on the baseball field than idolizing someone standing on the street corner.”
Now, after his loss, the family has set up a GoFundMe page for Scott’s funeral and memorial services, saying on the page:
Jericho, at only 16, has given so much to his family, friends and the community.
Jericho was a highly accomplished athlete, scholar and artist.
Although a short life, it was well lived through love, laughter and positive contributions to his family, friends, teammates and many others in the community.
And when he played baseball and basketball he touched the lives of people in a profound way.