Shooting at Wise High School after vigil for former Prince George’s Co. students killed in car crash
A man has died and a woman was injured in a shooting Friday night after a vigil for three former students from an Upper Marlboro, Maryland, high school who died in a car crash last week.
The man and woman were shot outside Wise High School around 10 p.m., Prince George’s County police confirmed with WTOP. The man was pronounced dead after being taken to a nearby hospital; the woman is conscious with injuries that are considered non-life-threatening.
Capt. Sonny Batth, the acting commander of the department’s major crimes division, said police returned to the scene when gunshots were heard after the vigil inside the high school’s auditorium. Police were at the vigil to help with traffic control and left when the majority of the parking lot was cleared.
“(Police) were leaving down the street when they heard gunshots and they quickly turned around, they came back to the scene. They were flagged down by citizens who were actually performing lifesaving measures on the female adult victim,” Batth said.
A weapon was recovered at the scene but there is no information about the suspect(s) or motive.
‘They made each other better’
In a gym packed with what felt like the entire Prince George’s County community, loved ones remembered 24-year-old Khyree Jackson, 23-year-old Isaiah “Zay” Hazel and 24-year-old Anthony “AJ” Lytton, Jr. who were driving on Route 4/Pennsylvania Avenue at Presidential Parkway on July 6 when another vehicle hit them, sending them off the roadway, killing all three men.
Jackson was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in Round 4 of the 2024 NFL Draft. He attended Wise High School before playing for the Oregon Ducks in college.
Hazel played at Maryland and Charlotte, while Lytton played at Florida State and Penn State, according to ESPN.
“Together, they praised each other, supported each other, pushed each other. Whether they were together or apart, they made each other better,” said Wise head coach Steve Rapp, who mentored the three who were widely known as best friends, when they won a Maryland state championship back in 2016.
Pictures of the three young men in their college football jerseys. and framed home jerseys from their high school days at Wise, lined the walls behind community leaders and coaches who spoke about their positive impact and legacies.
UMD head football coach Mike Locksley, who mentored Hazel at College Park, spoke about the importance of “paying it forward” to keep their memories alive.
“All three of those young men exemplified what Wise High School is all about,” he told the crowd.
County States Attorney Aisha Braveboy also spoke directly to the grieving families, urging them to have patience. An investigation into the crash, where state police say alcohol may have been a factor, is still ongoing. No charges have been filed against other drivers involved yet.
“As state’s attorney, my job is to seek justice and trust me, with your patience, and your belief in us, we will continue to seek the truth,” Braveboy said.
Many in the gymnasium where the vigil was held said the three young men will never be forgotten and were legends of their community.
This is an developing story. Stay with WTOP for the latest.