At Gary High School, Disbelief And Heartbreak Over Death Of Former Student
(CBS) GARY, Ind. – There is heartbreak here after the murder of a college freshman from Gary, Ind.
Police in Baton Rouge, La. are still trying to figure out exactly who shot 19-year-old Annette January.
The Southern University student and another woman were caught in a crossfire of bullets and killed early Sunday.
CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports.
Tearful teens on Monday mourned the death of their former teammate during a grief session at Thea Bowman Leadership Academy.
January was the star of the school's track team, graduating in 2015 and accepting a full academic and athletic scholarship to Southern University. She was one of two innocent students hit by gunfire while leaving an off-campus party.
Marvin Rea was like a little brother to January. He's on his way to Purdue to run track.
"It just reminds me of how unexpected, how unpredictable life can be. You just have to take advantage of every day and everything that you're given, like Annette did," he says.
Ron Swain coached January when she won first place in the hurdles, helping the team win runner-up in the state games.
"She had a 4.3 GPA. She came to practice every day. She worked hard. She was the kind of athlete that you want," Swain says.
January had offers from schools across the state. Friends say she chose Southern to run track at a historically black college and pursue business. Former teammates at Bowman intend to dedicate this season to January.