Coach of DISD student fatally shot says the teen was full of love
DALLAS — "He was Dallas' kid, Oak Cliff's kid, everyone feels like David was their own son," said Gary Cleveland.
David Washington was a student at Justin F. Kimball High School. He loved football almost as much as he loved his family. Gary Cleveland has known David since he was 8 years old when he started coaching him in little league football, but over the years Coach Gary says he came to consider David family.
"He made everybody feel special, he made everybody feel like they were important in his life, I'm looking at him like he was one of my own kids," said Gary Cleveland, David Washington's former coach and mentor.
Gary Cleveland's son Cordae Cleveland was also David's best friend.
"He was like my brother," said Cordae Cleveland.
So when Gary Cleveland found out on Friday night that David had been shot he says he rushed to the hospital.
"I stayed at Methodist until maybe 2 a.m.," said Gary Cleveland. "I went home, went to sleep woke up about 6:30 and seen a text message it was like 'Oh no my baby gone Gary, he didn't make it,' and it killed me, worst text message I ever got."
It all happened after a Duncanville, South Oak Cliff football game at Kincaide Stadium in Dallas on Friday night. Police said a large crowd had gathered and a group of people started following David across the street at the Love's gas station.
"They stalked David, they stalked him," said Gary Cleveland.
He said David called his mom to pick him up early. David's mom tragically saw the fight and the shooting.
"She said she screamed his name and that's when two gunshots went off," said Gary Cleveland.
Dallas Police arrested a 16-year-old and charged him with David's murder. They haven't released the juvenile's name.
"They're too reckless they're careless," said Gary Cleveland.
Gary Cleveland hopes David's death brings the community together.
"To all of his friends, his peers, to any of the other teenagers with guns and stuff he wouldn't want yall to retaliate on nobody he wouldn't want yall to do that," said Gary Cleveland. "He would want y'all to remember the love that he had, he was so full of love."
Additional mental health specialists will be at Justin F. Kimball High School on Monday to help students and staff grapple with his loss.