Star Mississippi prep football player shot, killed

Posted Jan 2, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Jan 2, 2012 at 09:48 PM

Sadly, this is not the first time a promising life has been cut short by gun violence.

This time, it was 16-year-old Devin Mitchell, a junior tight end and linebacker at Starkville High in Mississippi.

Sunday morning, Mitchell was shot at an apartment complex in West Point, Miss. Police arrived at the scene to find Mitchell suffering from a gunshot would. He was transported to a hospital in Tupelo but died of his injuries.

Mitchell helped Starkville reach last month’s Class 5A state title game, where it fell to Picayune 38-21. The 5-8, 190-pound Mitchell led Starkville in receiving with 34 catches for 772 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also rushed the ball 26 times for 223 yards and another 4 TDs. Mitchell was preparing to play baseball and run track this spring for Starkville.

“It is such a tragedy,” Stan Miller, Starkville High athletics director told the Commercial Dispatch in Mississippi. “He was a straight A-B student, a churchgoer, a fine young man. “We’re not smart enough to understand why things happen in our lives. I’m just sick. I’m torn up.”

Since the shooting, West Point Police Chief Tim Brinkley said his office has arrested Tavaris F. Collins, 31, aka “Frog” and charged him with murder. Brinkley said a motive for the murder is still under investigation.

On Mitchell recruiting site, he wrote “I run track, play baseball, play football, on the powerlifting team, and take all advanced classes in school. I give all honor to GOD for all my talents and success.”

To read more about this tragedy, please follow this link: http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=14827