A Florida junior league football coach is fighting for his life after being shot ten times while trying to protect his players during a drive-by shooting.
The devastating ambush took place on Saturday, December 3rd, in Jacksonville, when the 21-year-old coach was driving four players home after tryouts. That is when a vehicle pulled up to the intersection of Moncrief Road West and New Kings Road, and someone inside opened fire. The unidentified coach used his body to dive over the boys, shielding them from the hail of bullets. Despite his best efforts, one of the young athletes, 13-year-old Prince Holland, was killed during the attack. An 11-year-old passenger was also shot but is expected to survive. Two other players in the car, a 14 and 15-year-old, were not injured.
John Phillips, the attorney representing the coach, confirmed that he was listed in critical condition due to the bullet wounds he’d sustained. He will require multiple surgeries in the near future.
Family members describe Holland as a vivacious child who went to church every Sunday and enjoyed sports for most of his life. His mother, Chantel Brown, said her son would even recruit other teens to play sports to prevent them from turning to a life of crime, with dreams of one day making it to the NFL. Sadly, the honor roll students’ life was cut short, leaving a community reeling and a police force committed to bringing the killer or killers to justice.
“We will not rest, we will not tire, we will not waver,” assured Duval County Sheriff T.K. Waters.
So far, no arrests have been made in the case, though a $14,000 reward is being offered for anyone with information leading to those responsible.
