Photo Courtesy Of WCPO
Ohio youth football coach Jermaine Knox was tragically shot and killed in front of his team after practice, reports said.
According to WLWT, Knox was fatally shot shortly after the final whistle on Oct. 19. Cincinnati police said when paramedics arrived, he was pronounced dead at the scene in the 1700 block of Larch Avenue. Another man was shot and wounded in the leg and was rushed to a local hospital, officials added. The victim is expected to recover from his injuries.
“He’s going to be truly missed. Good man. I can’t say anything bad about him because he didn’t have a bad bone, and he had a good heart,” one person said at a vigil held for Knox the following day. His family, friends, and young athletes gathered at the vigil, which took place on the field he coached. The athletes showed up in familiar colors to celebrate his life, and others held balloons or signs that read “King Maine.”
The beloved coach of the Trojan Black team was a longtime pillar in the College Hill community. Those who knew him well called him “King Maine” or “Coach Maine.” Not only was he known for his love of football but for mentoring kids in the community, as he helped them grow as players and taught them how to become men off the field.
“If you knew Maine, you knew he loved every last one of these kids,” another person at the vigil said. “There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for anyone.”
“The one thing about Jermaine, [is] he loved this team with his heart and soul,” another attendee added. “I only got one wish for the Trojan Black organization: to keep it going the same way he would.”
It’s still unclear what led to the shooting, but The Cincinnati Police Department issued a statement saying the investigation is ongoing.