KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Cass, Miami, Franklin and Douglas counties with an emphasis on Lawrence. If you have a question about your community or a story idea, send Lily a tip at lilyoshea.becker@kshb.com.
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Isaiah Neal, 17, was shot and killed at his apartment complex at 2406 Alabama Street in Lawrence, Kansas, early Thursday morning.
Cir Allen Keith Glover, 18, was arrested Friday morning after the Lawrence Police Department received a tip the suspect was in Miami County. He is charged with second-degree murder in Douglas County District Court.
Both the suspect and victim attended Lawrence Public Schools' "tight-knit" GED program, according to Ashley Eicholtz, the program's coordinator.
“[Neal's] test scores were amazing," Eicholtz said. "He was just extremely bright. I felt like we were going to get him through the program pretty quickly, and yeah, he’s just an amazing kid.”
The GED program's classes are relatively small, with some classes having only three to five students. Eicholtz said the program's teachers develop strong relationships with their students due to the class sizes.
"These teachers get really attached to these students, and so, it’s like losing, like losing their own child," she said.
Over the last couple of years, four of the program's students have been killed by gun violence, according to Eicholtz.
“It’s been hard. Right after it happened (Neal's death), the next day, we had a couple of students who didn’t show up to class because it affected them," Eicholtz said.
Neal was a student within Lawrence Public Schools starting in fifth grade. He left Lawrence High School during his junior year to pursue his GED, according to Julie Boyle, executive director of communications for Lawrence Public Schools.
"Our school community is heartbroken over the loss of someone so young and full of promise. Our deepest sympathies are with Isaiah’s family, friends, and his school families," Boyle said in an e-mail statement to KSHB 41 News.
Neal had about six months left before earning his GED.
Eicholtz said teaching students conflict resolutions or providing after-school programs for older teens could help curb violence.
“It goes from zero to 100 just so quickly, and we turn to violence instead of finding other ways to resolve that conflict," she said.
On Saturday, some Lawrence students graduated from a two-week Teen Police Academy program.
At the ceremony, Lt. Myrone Grady recognized the need for relationships between Lawrence's youth and the police department.
“It’s been some tough times around here lately," he said. "There’s been a whole lot of crazy stuff going on, not only in our community but in the world alone, and I do think that strengthening these relationships between our young people and our police officers goes a long way."
Lawrence School Resource Officers (SROs) led the program.
“Our job is to mentor these kids and build a relationship to where they have a trusted adult in a police officer," said Cpl. Kacey Wiltz, who works as an SRO at Lawrence Free State High School.
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