Teen Boy Dies Shielding Baby Sister from Gunfire at Playground

A 13-year-old Louisiana boy is being remembered as a hero after his family says he used his own body to shield his 3-year-old sister when gunfire erupted near an apartment complex playground.

Sha’michal Russell was outside with his little sister at the Olde Salem Village Apartments in Shreveport on Sept. 28 when shots rang out near the complex’s basketball court.

Three children were struck by gunfire, according to Shreveport Police. Sha’michal suffered life-threatening injuries and later died at a hospital. A 17-year-old and a 2-year-old were also wounded.

Sha’michal’s 3-year-old sister was not among those injured.

His aunt, Shreveport Police Department Chaplain Jessica Haley, said the boy was playing with his sister when the shooting began and immediately tried to protect her.

“He was shielding his 3-year-old sister at the park to keep her from being hit by the bullets,” Haley told local media.

Haley described her nephew as a hero who had a loving heart and said she believes he would have made the same choice again if it meant protecting his little sister.

“He would die to save his little sister,” she said.

Sha’michal’s relatives are now asking people to remember more than the horrific way his life ended.

Haley described him as a funny, caring boy who loved sports and gospel music and was always willing to help others.

He would help neighbors, take out the trash and crack what his aunt called “goofy little jokes.”

“He was such a good young man,” she said.

His final act of protecting his sister has now earned him national recognition.

The Youth Peace & Justice Foundation, also known as The Uvalde Foundation for Kids, announced that Sha’michal will posthumously receive its Youth Heroism Award.

The organization said he will become the first teenager to receive the award after his death.

Foundation founder Daniel Chapin said Sha’michal’s family described a boy deeply devoted to his younger sister who tried to protect her when the shooting began.

“He was only 13 years old. He should still be here growing up with his family,” Chapin said.

The organization said the award is intended to make sure Sha’michal is remembered for his courage and the life he lived, rather than only as another victim of gun violence.

Meanwhile, police say two 19-year-old cousins have been arrested in connection with the deadly shooting.

Javieon Abbott was initially arrested on one count of second-degree murder in Sha’michal’s death. Police later added two counts of attempted second-degree murder in connection with the two other juveniles who were wounded.

A second suspect, Alonzo Abbott, was subsequently arrested and accused of being a principal in the shooting. He faces one count of principal to second-degree murder and two counts connected to the attempted murders, according to police.

Under Louisiana law, being charged as a “principal” generally means authorities are accusing a person of participating in or assisting with the commission of a crime, even if prosecutors do not allege that person personally fired the fatal shot.

Both men are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Police have not publicly laid out a motive for the shooting or explained why the children were caught in the gunfire.

Investigators have said detectives are continuing to review evidence and pursue leads to determine whether anyone else was involved.

Additional arrests or charges remain possible.

For Sha’michal’s family, however, the focus remains on the 13-year-old whose instinct in a terrifying moment was to protect his little sister.

His family says that is the way they want him remembered — not simply as a child killed by gunfire, but as a big brother who put someone he loved ahead of himself.