Tennessee Teen Dies After Shielding Three Female Friends from Random Gunfire

A Tennessee teen died a hero after shielding three girls from gunfire last week.

According to CNN, 15-year-old Zaevion William Dobson, a Knoxville football player, was sitting outside with three female friends when a group of men with suspected gang ties opened fire on the group. Dobson used his body to shield the three girls from the gunfire. The girls were uninjured, but Dobson died on the scene.

Two of the men involved in the shooting were arrested. A third was fatally shot later the same night.

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“If it wasn’t for Zaevion, if he would have just ran off the porch, we would have probably been shot,” one of the girls, Kiara Rucker, told a CNN affiliate.

Friends and family remember the teen as a mentor who had a positive effect on his classmates and community. President Obama took to Twitter to praise Dobson’s heroic actions.

“Zaevion Dobson died saving three friends from getting shot,” President Obama wrote. “He was a hero at 15. What’s our excuse for not acting?”

Dobson’s family has established a GoFundMe page to help pay for funeral expenses. To donate, visit GoFundMe.com.