A teenager has been hospitalized after being shot at the Ohio elementary school founded by Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
Lt. Michael Murphy of the Akron Police Department announced in a news release on Tuesday that a 17-year-old was shot at the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio on May 24, per the Akron Beacon Journal. The victim was transported to the hospital by an individual who was at the scene, the release added.
Responding police officers reportedly recovered nearly two dozen shell casings from the scene. No further information about the victim was disclosed though, including the identity as well as the extent of the injuries suffered. You can read the Akron Beacon Journal’s full report on the situation here.
The 21-time All-Star James, a native of Akron, founded the I Promise School as part of his charity foundation, The LeBron James Family Foundation. Named after James’ “I PROMISE” initiative directed towards at-risk youth in Akron, the school was approved by the Akron School Board in late 2017 and officially opened in July 2018.
Initially, the I Promise School was only open to students in the third and fourth grade but has since become a fully operational Grades 1-8 school (as of 2022). According to the Ohio Department of Education website, the I Promise School has an enrollment of 517 students.
As for James, who used to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers, he left in 2018 to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers (where he has been ever since). But this latest incident at James’ I Promise School is eerily similar to the 2022 incident where another 17-year-old was beaten to death in a parking lot near the basketball courts of the school.
