High school senior, football standout killed
By KABC Staff
Click here for updates on this story
VICTORVILLE, California (KABC) — A 17-year-old high school football player from Victorville described as a star athlete was killed over the weekend, authorities confirmed.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Richard Reed, a senior at Silverado High School, was found shot in the street near La Mesa and Jade roads on Sunday at around 11 p.m.
He was pronounced dead on the scene.
A home security camera in the neighborhood captured the sound of what appeared to be dozens of rounds of gunfire.
The Victor Valley Union High School District issued a statement Monday confirming the teen’s death, saying he was “well-known” and “well-liked” on campus.
“This is a heartbreaking loss for the students, staff, and families of Silverado High School,” VVUHSD Superintendent Carl Coles said in the statement. “On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire VVUHSD community, we will keep Richard’s family, friends, teammates, coaches and teachers in our thoughts and prayers. We will continue to support each other as we face this devastating tragedy.”
Reed played offense, defense and special teams for the Silverado Hawks, according to the district. He was talented enough to be selected for varsity all four years of his high-school career.
His mother Reisha Reed always made sure to be in the stands for his games.
“We still have so many unanswered questions,” Reisha Reed told Eyewitness News. “I know things happen bad all the time. It’s just like, it’s my baby. My baby’s not here.”
The team is scheduled to play in their first-round playoff game on Friday at Hawk Stadium.
“Many of the players are still in shock, and when we heard the news today, football was the furthest thing from our minds,” Silverado High School Principal Heather Conkle said. “But the players are also extremely unified right now. They want to play this game for Richard.”
School officials said Reed’s teammates and his family held a private vigil on the school’s football field Monday night after their scheduled practice was canceled.
“Some of the players are still taking it rough,” Silverado Head Coach Keron Jones said. “We’ll gather the team together after school just to allow them some time to grieve together amongst themselves. I told the coaches we would let everything happen organically. … We will try to let everything move at their pace. They were running around throwing the ball after school (Monday). So I think once they are back in the element of football, it will help them to cope.”
A GoFundMe has been established to help Reed’s family with burial expenses.
VVUHSD said Reed was an Honor Roll student and was named Desert Sky League Defensive Player of the Year in 2021-22.
“He is one of only a handful of kids that I can recall that has started all four seasons as a varsity starter in some capacity,” said Jones. “He was that good. His energy was infectious. He was so respected by his teammates.”
The school has since began offering grief counseling services on campus for students and staff.
“Some of his closest teammates have been inconsolable, and we have been offering them counseling and services,” said Conkle.
Conkle said the Hawks plan to wear helmet stickers honoring Reed Friday night. Conkle said St. Francis, the Hawks’ opponent, will also wear helmet stickers.
It’s unclear what led up to Reed’s death as the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information is urged to contact San Bernardino County homicide investigators at (909)890-4908.
If you’d like to remain anonymous, you can call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or visit We-Tip’s website: wetip.com
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
