Rajaan Bennett, Vanderbilt University Football Recruit, Shot & Killed by Mother's Ex-Boyfriend

Rajaan Bennett, 18, Vanderbilt University football recruit, shot and killed in murder-suicide by mother's ex-boyfriend Clifton O'Neal Steger.

 

Rajaan Bennett, Fox Sports

Rajaan Bennett, a McEachern High School senior and football standout, was shot and killed early Thursday in an apparent murder-suicide at his home in Powder Springs, Ga. Bennett, 18, had recently committed to play running back for the Vanderbilt football team this fall. Police identified the decedents as Rajaan, who had recently signed to play football in the fall at Vanderbilt University and shooter Clifton O'Neal Steger, the former boyfriend of Bennett's mother. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, a third person was wounded in the shooting.

Police were called to the Bennett's home around 2:30 a.m. Thursday after a caller to 911 whispered they needed help. Officers arrived about four minutes later, and "as they approached and knocked on the door, they heard several gunshots," Powder Springs Police Maj. Charles Spann told the AJC. Immediately after the four or five shots were fired, Narjaketha Bennett, 37, and her brother, Taiwan Hunter, 32, ran from the house,  police said. Hunter had been struck by at least one gunshot, Boyd said. Shortly thereafter, two juveniles emerged from the home uninjured. Source: AJC

The AJC said Bennett was an all-state running back in Class AAAAA and was number 25 on the AJC's "Fab 50″ list of recruits published earlier this month. He also earned three letters in track. What a sad turn of events for this young man.