After a horrific shooting sidelined his basketball dreams, Latrell Jackson is getting his second chance

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Putting up shots. Hoping to get noticed. Senior hoopers played in front of dozens of college coaches on Tuesday at the second annual Twin Cities Senior Expo.

"Some kids from last year have even gone on to have like really special freshman years already," said the event's founder Alex Conover. "We've seen some success stories for sure."

There was a player there that already has an unthinkable success story.

"Out of nowhere I kind of found myself being the victim of a very big shooting," said Latrell Jackson, a senior at White Bear Lake High School.

In June of 2020, Jackson was shot seven times in his stomach and upper body while visiting family near Chicago. The theory is that the shooters got the wrong car. This one had Jackson, his uncle, and Jackson's little cousin.  

"It kind of felt like a movie at that point," said Jackson. "I just thought about if this is actually going on, if someone's actually shooting at the car that I should at least try to like help the kid."

Jackson was immobile for eight months and then had to walk with a cane. He missed his entire junior year and came off the bench this year as White Bear Lake made a state tournament run.

"I feel like I was stripped of that two years, give or take," said Jackson. "Not necessarily anyone's fault…but just like I missed those years and I wasn't able to get them back, obviously."

Now, another chance to build on special success, and make up for lost time.

"I think it's such a special story," said Conover. "That's the reason you do it"

"I see it as a big opportunity, seeing as I didn't have the opportunity a year ago and I wasn't able to do all of this and I wasn't able to be active," said Jackson. "Now, it's just like, sky's the limit from here."