Murdered Dallas ISD student honored at Midlothian football game
MIDLOTHIAN — David Washington was five days away from his 18th birthday when he was killed Friday night. His parents, David Washington Jr and Adalia Fitzsimmons, said they were forced to celebrate without him.
"Yeah, it just, it breaks my heart that he won't be here to celebrate. It breaks my heart that he wasn't here to celebrate his 18th birthday. And that's all he wanted," Fitzsimmons said. "He wanted to celebrate. He wanted to graduate high school. He was trying to change. He was trying."
His mother said her son's family held a private balloon release for her son. Washington's father said he misses his confident, bright son who loved football and family.
"Just trying to basically think of the good memories, think of the good times we had," Washington Jr said.
They are not the only ones thinking of the Kimball High School senior. A coordinated effort between the Dallas Independent School District and Midlothian Independent School District honored the murdered teen at a football game Thursday night.
"We know that one of our fellow communities lost a player this week, and we wanted them to know that they're not alone in this," Amanda Rodgers said. "And that we're all community together and that we're here to support them and stand beside them during this really tough time."
Rodgers is the principal at Midlothian High School. During the matchup between Midlothian and Washington's Kimball High Knights, she and other personnel passed out red ribbons.
Band members, cheerleaders, drill team members, and students wore ribbons for someone they had only heard about.
"Respectful... very much, and I appreciate them so much," Fitzsimmons said.
Washington's parents were sure their son's love for football would take him to the NFL. It would have been his senior year as a Knight on the football field. But that came to an end when he was killed.
His teammates wore "DW" stickers on their helmets as his parents watched in the stands. During pregame, an announcer asked everyone at the stadium for a moment of silence.
"Now, a lot of things are very competitive in high school sports, and football is definitely one of them," Rodgers said. "But at the end of the day, we're all student-athletes, we're all coaches, and we're all community members who are charged with raising the next generation. And it's a privilege for us to do that. And we want them to know that we're here with them to do that."
Washington's parents expect to hold his funeral next week. But acknowledge their grief is alive as his death is a day-to-day journey.
"If David was close to you, you would know that David loved you," Washington Jr said. "It was the love that we get from David every day."