FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio — Fifteen-year-old Issa Jeylani died after he was shot Friday night in Franklin Township, according to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.
Those who knew and loved Jeylani say he was his happiest on the soccer field.
The 15-year-old played for the Hilltop Tigers Soccer Club, a team through MY Project USA which is a local nonprofit organization.
"He would bring light into any room,” said Zerqa Abid, the Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit.
She told 10TV Issa was in the organization for the last several years. She said he loved to give his time, helping the Hilltop community and making it better.
His bright future was taken from him Friday night.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office said the shooting happeed just before 10;30 p.m. in the 4400 block of Sherwood Forest North.
The sheriff's office said another person was shot but is expected to be ok. A third person was hurt but was not hit by gunfire.
A spokesperson with the sheriff’s office told 10TV on Saturday that initial 911 calls reported a shooting near a soccer field.
Abid believes Jeylani and his friends and teammates were playing soccer.
"I always knew something like this could happen, but I always hoped that it would not happen,” she said.
Abid believes this could have been prevented if the program would have had enough funding to afford a safe, indoor facility. She said gun violence is killing too many young people and Issa should still be playing soccer.
"The Hilltop area is suffering, and these children are suffering.”
Anyone with information on this shooting is asked to call the Franklin County Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau at 614-525-3351.
No arrests have been made.
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