DAVENPORT, Iowa — Days after the Davenport Community School District lost a student to gun violence, a response team was set up to help students cope with the tragic loss.
The district brought in 20 counselors after 12-year-old Devell Johnson Jr. was shot and killed on Marquette Street Thursday afternoon, April 22.
Devell was a sixth-grade student at Jefferson Elementary School.
Dr. Jake Klipsch, director of learning support, said it's important right now to "just be present" with any students and families in need, journeying through this loss.
"I just recently got a phone call with another building who said, "We have a lot of students here need some support also." So, we're trying to just do that immediate crisis response which has been a focus of our district this year to provide the mental health and emotional support for those that need it," explained Dr. Klipsch.
According to a press release from Davenport Police, the shooting incident began with a group of four people: three juveniles and one man. The four were biking in an alley between 13th and 14th Streets near Marquette Street. That's when, a car stopped and someone shot at the group several times.
Chief of Davenport Police Paul Sikorski said the shooting was not a random act. Nobody has been taken into custody for the shooting.
