Cincinnati youth football coach shot dead after practice in front of players
A youth football college from Cincinnati was shot dead in front of his players after leaving practice Tuesday night, cops said.
Jermaine Knox, 37, and another man, Joel Johnson Jr., were standing in the street outside the College Hill Recreation Facility in the 1700 block of Larch Avenue shortly before 8 p.m. when a third man approached them and opened fire, according to police.
Knox collapsed to the ground and died. Johnson Jr. was struck in the leg and taken to a hospital to be treated.
No children were harmed in the shooting.
It was not immediately clear what led to the gun violence, nor whether Knox was the intended target.
Knox coached the Trojan Black team, considered one of the top programs in the state.
“He was a great coach,” April Anderson, whose son is friends with Knox’s son, told station WLWT. “It was a great atmosphere. He was a great impact.”
During a packed memorial service on Wednesday night, he was remembered by other coaches and players as a mentor to many children in the community.
“He was out here because he knew these kids needed him,” Pastor Peterson Mingo said.
Police were looking for a suspect, but they had little information to go on. They encouraged community members to come forward with information leading to an arrest.
With Post wires
