Murdered Wyncote Academy Senior To Be Remembered During Graduation
CHELTENHAM, Pa. (CBS) - A student at Wyncote Academy who was tragically gunned down outside his Philadelphia home Easter Sunday (see related story) will be remembered later today as his classmates graduate from the school in Cheltenham.
Jarell Seay should be joining his 19 classmates at today's graduation, but the 18-year-old basketball star, who would have turned 19 today, lost his life Easter Sunday. His parents will accept his diploma and his seat will be left empty, draped with his cap and gown.
Principal Kirk Hittinger says Seay was one of the basketball captains and that his death impacted not only his classmates but those younger than him, "The kids reflected, some of the younger kids, on the fact that even though he was a big successful senior he always took time to help the younger kids and try to make them look good on the basketball court."
Seay was also interested in music, and some of his classmates will be playing one of his songs at the graduation.
Hittinger says the graduation will be bittersweet for the other students, "As they're getting ready to leave, part of them is kind of leaving the place with them -- it has left already. They kind of feel the loss, but they're balancing that with trying to celebrate their own accomplishments."
Hittinger says Seay was very involved in music and some of his classmates will play one of his songs during graduation. They planted a tree on campus yesterday, an everlasting memory of the classmate who was gone too soon.
Reported by Suburban Bureau Chief Brad Segall, KYW Newsradio 1060
