JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A grandmother is speaking out after her grandson whom she adopted was shot and killed in September.
Donneil Williams was found by a police officer who was doing a check for a missing person on the 12-hundred block East Third street on September 25th. According to police, no one has been arrested in his murder.
The teenager's grandmother says Donneil was ready to graduate and head to college. She signed her grandson up for tutoring just months before he was shot in order to accomplish his goal.
Dana Edmonds, with Tutoring Club of Jacksonville, says she worked with Donniel for four days each week.
"Donneil came to me because his grandmother heard about me on First Coast Living on TV and immediately called," said Edmonds. "She called me while I was still on the television."
Edmonds says the teenager made huge strides.
"He came in four days a week and two hours a day. He spent a lot of time with us," said Edmonds.
She says Donneil was artistic and creative; a side of him that she thinks just recently emerged. Edmonds filmed a video of Donneil where he expresses his love for education.
In the video he says, "I'd rather be here getting tutored all day instead of being home. because I have fun learning."
Edmonds say Donneil was taking three Math's just to graduate, something she says is no easy feat.
"Someone that you saw change their life and want better and want to be a better person. To see that taken away by something so senseless...it's...it's hard," said Edmonds.
According to Police, Donneil was found shot in the back and left in a field until police found him.
His grandmother, Ollie Harrison says it was a nightmare.
"I heard the gunshots and I ran outside but I did not see him. I worry because I don't know if he was in pain or if he cried out for me and I wasn't there to save him," said Harrison.
His grandmother adopted him as baby and raised him. She says she tried to guide him and she was so excited about his dreams for college.
"The excitement on his face to get to tutoring. I've never seen him like that," said Harrison. "We need to stop these kids from hurting each other. I am not sure if it's the older kids trickling down to the younger ones but Donneil found out the hard way."
A young man who she says put his everything into his studies for the last few months of his life.
"I'm happy for the time that we had with him but I am just so sad that he's gone," said Edmonds.
Donneil's grandmother will be receiving his high school diploma at this year's graduation.
