VALDOSTA —
Students at Lowndes High School dressed in black and marched from the cafetorium to Viking Stadium to honor their fellow student Kendrick Johnson, who was found dead in the campus gymnasium Friday morning.
Students and faculty remembered Johnson, 17, a sophomore, as a “good kid” who was “soft spoken” during the short walk across the lawn and parking lot. About 600 students participated in the event, which was carried out with solemnity and grief.
In the stadium, students reportedly held a moment of silence and prayed for Johnson’s family and for the school, said Zack Copeland, the student who organized the event over social media Web sites Facebook and Twitter under the username BiggieNoSmalls_.
“It went great,” Copeland said. “We raised money for KJ and we did the march and everything was a complete success.”
Copeland, a member of Lowndes’ varsity football team, posted a public invitation Monday afternoon to “part two” of the vigil Thursday night at 8 p.m. in the old gym. He and other friends of “KJ” will host a candlelight ceremony for the family.
“KJ was a football player, a teammate and a close friend,” Copeland said. “He was someone I could call my little brother. He had a great personality. He was just a quiet kid. Lovable, caring and easy to get along with.”
During the walk, senior Jada Gibson said she was walking in memory of Johnson. Her friends, seniors Terrie Robinson and Quanesha Carter agreed that Johnson was an affable student who was “very quiet.”
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Lowndes High School students marched across campus to Martin Stadium Monday morning to hold a vigil for fellow student Kendrick Johnson, whose body was found in the old gym Friday morning. Brandon Powers / VDT
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