Isaiah Shoels

Isaiah Shoels, 18, senior. Only black youth shot. Suffered
health problems as a child and had heart surgery twice.
Wanted to attend an arts college and become a music
executive. Small in stature, but lifted weights and played
football and wrestled. Bench-pressed twice his weight.

"He was the nicest person I knew," remembers
classmate Justin Norman. "He would always go up to
you and say, 'What's up?' even if you didn't know him."

A transfer student from Lakewood High School, he was
shot in the head execution-style in the school library, specifically because of his race and athletic
interests, witnesses said. His father says he believes that account.

"He was black and he was an athlete," Michael Shoels said. "That's why my son died. Because of
the color of his skin and the achievements that he wanted to do for himself. ... That's not a reason to
die."

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