14-Year Old RB Recruit Jaylon McKenzie Dies After Being Shot at Party

Eighth-grade football recruit Jaylon McKenzie was shot and killed Saturday night, according to Dori Olmos and Jenna Barnes of 5 On Your Side.

The Belleville, Illinois, native's mother, Sukeena Gunner, told Barnes he was hit by a stray bullet after a fight broke out at a party he had been attending. Illinois State Police arrived on the scene in response to a disturbance and shooting.

A 15-year-old girl was also shot and remains in critical condition, but McKenzie died from injuries shortly after reaching the hospital.

While he still hadn't reached high school, the 14-year-old was considered one of the top up-and-coming players in the class of 2023.

In November, McKenzie was featured among the "Six Teens Who Will Rule the Future in Sports," a Sports Illustrated article by Jeremy Fuchs. He was the only football player on the list, adding that his goal was to "make the NFL."

According to 247Sports, the running back prospect had already received scholarship offers for both Illinois and Missouri.

"Outside of basketball, outside of football, he was just a great kid," his basketball coach Al Lewis said of McKenzie, per KSDK News.