CHESAPEAKE
Lonnie Andrews Jr. and his little sister Ebony Spencer were together Monday night, just as you’d usually find them, because they genuinely liked each other despite the two years that separated them.
School had been out for going on three weeks. Virginia State University and a football scholarship were still a month away for 18-year-old Andrews, so he and Ebony and some friends went to Janelle’s Center for the Youth for a party. It was, Ebony said, one of his favorite places. He could dance there, and dance he did until 2 a.m.
The siblings had different rides home. Andrews left first, but not without asking Ebony if he should wait with her. She said she told her brother to go ahead.
“He said, 'OK. I’m gonna call you later,’ ” Ebony recalled. “Twenty minutes later, I found out he was shot.”
Police found Andrews suffering from a gunshot wound on a lawn in the 800 block of Lindale Drive around 2:30 a.m. He was later pronounced dead at Chesapeake General Hospital .
Police announced the arrest of a 17-year-old around 7 p.m. Tuesday. A spokesman said he was charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Police had no motive in the slaying and could not say if it was related to the Tuesday afternoon slaying of Dontrell Whitehurst, 26, nearby .
The death of Andrews, a promising football player from Oscar Smith High School, shook family and friends and former teammates Tuesday – the day Andrews had planned to send his final transcript to Virginia State.
“He was ready,” said older brother Antoine Spencer. “He was glad to be the first one to go to college in our family. He was trying to make everybody proud.”
News spread quickly, through text messages and MySpace pages set up in Andrews’ memory.
Distraught friends and family gathered at the small yellow home with a neat lawn on Carolyn Drive where he had lived with Ebony and their aunt, Marie Abbott, until recently.
The shooting occurred just two streets away.
Oscar Smith football coach Rich Morgan fought back tears as he watched a highlight film of Andrews at the high school.
“He had a lot of talent, and it’s just sad that it won’t be on the field anymore,” Morgan said. Watching the highlight film “brings back memories of just how much he did and how good he was. It’s just difficult to deal with because this kid gave so much to this program.”
A bit undersized, at 5-foot-7 and 175 pounds, Andrews managed to produce 1,049 yards last fall during the regular season – averaging an astounding 9.9 yards a carry – and scored 17 touchdowns. He had five 100-yard rushing games, capped by a season-high 177 against Great Bridge. Three times he had three-touchdown games.
Andrews capped his senior season by being named second-team All-Tidewater and second-team All-Region, and he was first-team All-District. He finished his career ranked third on the school’s all-time career rushing list.
Andrews said he had recruiting interest from Winston-Salem State and James Madison University but announced in February that he was signing to play at Virginia State.
Morgan said that if Andrews were 6-foot instead of 5-7, he would have “easily” gone to one of the elite programs. But Andrews was excited about attending Virginia State, and now Morgan must contact the school to tell them the news.
“The one thing I’ll always remember about him is his smile,” Morgan said. “He was good-natured and made everybody laugh.”
Ebony said her older brother liked to “put on some ridiculous outfit” to get a chuckle out of someone. He once got a mohawk resembling Mr. T’s and dyed it blue and gold to match the school colors.
Just recently, Andrews shaved the center of his head to look like a balding man. “He almost wore it like that to graduation,” Ebony said, until she and the rest of the family talked him out of it.
Ebony went to Andrews’ football games and he went to her basketball games, and sometimes they argued over who was better at what sport. Andrews often would try to teach his little sister new dance moves.
“There couldn’t be a normal moment with him around,” Ebony said. “I bet right now he’s thinking, 'Why are y’all crying?’ I bet he’s calling me a baby like he used to do when I cried.”
Staff writer John Hopkins contributed to this story.
Kristin Davis, (757) 222-5555, kristin.davis@pilotonline.com
Larry Rubama, (757) 446-2273, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com
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the good die young...
i was a friend && classmate of lonnie. he was so friendly and kind and full of life and yet someone had the nerve to take that away from everyone who loved him. he went out of his way to help anyone who needed it. for those who say that westover is a bad neighborhood ... reality check the neighborhood isnt bad its certain people who make it bad. i grew up in that neighborhood not necessarily living there but spending many nights with friends there and i also attended the same church as lonnie. dont place judgement on someone you dont know or something you dont know about. he was a good guy with a good head on his shoulders. he knew wat he wanted in life and strived to achieve it. RIP Lonnie we love and miss you. the good die young...
to his lil sister ebony who is also a friend of mine and my younger brother... i love you and im so sorry this fool took lonnie away from you your family and all of us who loved him.
Um
"However, the most important thing is having peace with Jesus and an assurance that we know we will be with Him, no matter what happens to us. This life is truly temporal. Through prayer and sensible actions, we can make great strides towards some amount of peace; the foundation for change is prayer."
Historically the leading cause of death is religious conflict. Difference in opinion on this subject even killed Jesus. I don't think this is going to work.
What!!!
Some folks here are saying that being out at 2:30 AM is unreasonable. You are out of touch with the younger generation. Many young adults are just getting home between the hours of 2 and 4. Have you people forgotten what it means to be young? I am in my 60s and can still remember comming home just before sun rise when I was in my 20s.
It does not matter what time someone is out. There should be a reasonable expectancy of safety and the cause of this tragedy is the shooter, not the clock.
and another thing...
its funny how if this story was about a young, black man being killed while committing a robbery, this story would have 10 pages of negative comments from bigots and racists. when a positive role model (who just happens to be black) dies, there arent that many condolences being sent. what makes matters even worse is the fact that you have people like "unbiased" who hid e behind a screen name and spew moronic comments. some things will never change, i guess.
RIP to a good kid...
i didnt know him personally, but in this day in age its good to know that there are still teenagers that are blessed with a good head on their shoulders and a kind heart. the man above has a special place for special people like Lonnie.
as far as the comments questioning why he was out that late, thats neither here nor there. he just graduated high school, on his way to college and obviously was loved in his community for being a positive role model. an overall good kid. it doesnt really sound like he was outside "slangin' dope" to me. it doesnt matter what time he was outside, a life should NOT have been lost due to senseless violence.
Juveniles
A long time ago when I was a juvenile kids got in trouble for throwing rocks through a window or stealing candy from the drug store. Now it is murder and rape. The two brothers in Williamsburg...one killed one arrested for rape. They had a combination of 100 arrests as juveniles. I think it is time to reevaluate the concept of concealing identies when serious crimes are committed.
Ref. User "unbiased"
"at 230 in the morning in a bad section of town. hear that same story all the time."
Excuse me but I grew up in that neighborhood and my parents still live there. Those of us that grew up there know how the neighborhood was and still is. Most of the people that live there have been there for years and years and this kind of violence just doesn't go on there. My husband is in the Navy and we, unfortunately, have been in Charleston, SC for 3 years but are anxiously awaiting our return and looking at a house in THAT neighborhood. I am truly sorry for Lonnie Andrew's family and friends!! Before someone starts throwing stones, they should look up crime statistics!!
Always in my heart
To "unbiased", how dare you assume Lonnie was in a bad part of town. How dare you!!!!!!!!! He was such a wonderful young man with so much potential. His generous smile and laughter will be missed by everyone who had the pleasure to know him. I don't know where you live but if you look around this is happening everywhere. He was doing nothing wrong, don't judge unless you be judged. I will miss him with all my heart. You did not know him, if you did you would never have such an opinion. Thanks for caring about our youth, where ever they live. It is people like you that are doing so much to help..:( Thanks for nothing, go on ahead and live in your negative world, I hope you never have to feel the pain his, family, friends, teachers and team mates are feeling right now. Lonnie is resting in the arms of the angels right now.
Prayer Changes Things
I have been praying for change in our nation. It's only reactive to talk about the punishment for those that commit crimes. I am praying for more of a proactive approach. We need to begin doing weekly silent prayer walks throughout all communities, in addition to praying individually on our own schedule. However, the most important thing is having peace with Jesus and an assurance that we know we will be with Him, no matter what happens to us. This life is truly temporal. Through prayer and sensible actions, we can make great strides towards some amount of peace; the foundation for change is prayer. My deepest sympathy to the family.
To: Steven-2090
"oh if this young man had been wiser"?!!!
i've known lonnie for 12 years. he was a star athlete, a great student, never did drugs or anything and was a great friend. how dare you say such a thing. maybe you should get your story straight and pay a little respect to the family before you throw around such words. he had a bright future and was going to go places with his life and now it has been cut short because some young thug wanted to start a fight. why not ask "why did this minor have a handgun?" "what was the under age boy doing out that late?" you have no idea what kind of loss his friends and family are facing. because of this boy we have lost a wonderful person. he was full of love and laughter. nobody could stay mad at lonnie. his smile was contagious. our dark chocolate is gone forever and now the world will never get to expierence what his friends and family has with him in the past. i hope this boy gets life in prison, i want him to hurt like we are.
RIP Lonnie 05.31.90 - 07.01.08 we will miss you and your big beautiful smile will stay in our hearts forever.
i used to go to the church w
i used to go to the church w him in our neighbor hood. and i moved away. i found out from the news when i woke up. ill miss his funny comments and his million dollar smile. we will all miss u lonnie! my thoughts and prayers go out to his family. eric and ebony hang in there. you all will be n my prayers
cut down in his prime.....
What a tragedy for this fine young athlete to be taken from this earth way before his time. Now that the condolences have been extended, where is the President of the local NAACP chapter calling for a stop to all the violence that is going on in the black community? We hear from them when there is a white on black injustice (rightfully so), so where are they and their marches when they've had enough of black on black crime in the community? You can stick your heads in the sand if you like, but the truth of the matter is crime against the community is so far out of hand its rediculuos. I'm not pointing fingers...I'm just saying that until someone in the higharchy of the black community calls for peace (publicly) the violence will continue. Please Pilot, have the guts to post this entry to show the white community is on the black communites side for a better living and safer streets. God Bless and Good Luck
What is the world coming to?
I think that too many young kids these days are trying to do things to impress others by joining "fake gangs" and killing, hurting, and troubling other kids so that they may join a gang and I do believe that if this killing was not an act of "beef" then it was a low life thug that has nothing else to show for themself then to go out and kill a person who is trying to go out and do something with their life. I think it is pathetic that the world has come to this. I can't say that I agree that the killer's home life played a role in this but I will not deny that they may be an option, but the reason I say that is because their are kids in society that live in high end or middle class neighborhoods and have wonderful parents that care for them but as hardest as they try to keep their kids out of trouble, their kids still go out and do wrong. I just wish that people in life could come to their senses and just learn to prove themsel
O Guard What Is Laid Up In Trust With You
It is said when you hear about a young man with such a prosperous life cut down in the prime of life. But where are the posters asking the hard questions, not just about the criminal who killed him but about this young man. Questions like:
What was this young man doing up at 2:00 AM outside, when decent people are home in bed, unless they work nights?
Why did this young man's older brother and parents not teach him to guard his future? We live in a dangerous world most crimes, murders take place after 10 am, it may be our right to be out wee hours of the night and morning, but is it wise?
Yes, criminals have long loved the hours of darkness, it is time for the rest of us to realize it is not safe at night, and first to protect ourselves by being wise.
Oh, if this young man had just been wiser.
my friend
I knew lonnie since he was a freshman at smith and i was a senoir on the football team. Lonnie was a great player. This is a horible tragedy. I can't imagine him not being here with us. He was like my little brother as is the rest of the up and coming smith players.. He always made everyone laugh. He will be greatly missed. My love and prayers go out to his family. R.I.P Lonnie you will forever be apart of our football family.
avant1021, it is because of family values (lack thereof)
First of all my deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. God Bless you son & brother.
avant1021 sumbitted on Tue, 07/01/2008 at 1:57 pm.
"Why can't our children have a chance? A good future? Why does it seem to all end in violence....."
Because of the degraded set of family values many kids live by. It is my firm belief that problems begins within the family unit when there is lack of proper role modeling, lack of support, no dicipline, no counseling, and little love. The end result is a reckless punk like this one that took the life of a wholesome young man. The degradation of the family unit is going on all around us. It's depressing.
The thug is only 17 years of age. I hope the justice tries him as an adult.
Tragedy
This is a true tragedy for the friends and family of this young man and for the football team that loved him so very much. As has all ready been stated here, he was a wonderful young man with a wonderful personality and an equally beautiful smile. Those that knew him were truly blessed. For those of you on here questioning the time and place and the character of this young man? Shame on you! You obviously didn't know him. He wasn't some gang banger hanging out on the street, or some drug dealer looking for his next deal. How do you know he didn't go straight home? You don't, so stop jumping to conclusions and zip it! He was a young man with a very promising future. This type of thing isn't supposed to happen to this type of kid; it's heartbreaking.
Over the last 4 years, I've
Over the last 4 years, I've played against Lonnie as a linebacker and lineman for Western Branch. Earlier this year, our football family also mourned the loss of teammate Travis Tennessee and have found peace with his passing. This kid has always been extremely competitive and well-mannered on the field, as well as off. He overcame extreme obstacles in his life and our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his friends, family, and team mates on the loss of a great kid, as well as a football player. RIP Lonnie.
I wish I had the chance to meet this fine young man.....
I am so very sorry to hear of the death of Lonnie. Although I never knew him he sounds like a wonderful young man who was just starting his adult life. My prayers will be with all of the family and friends of Lonnie through this diffulcult time.
Rest in Peace Lonnie,
Bob Taylor
Germany
Tragedy
I didn't know this guy. I graduated from OFS in 97. To our Tiger family - my condolences for this loss. May his murderer be brought to swift and severe punishment.
Terrible
Lonnie sounds like he was an awsome guy with a very bright future, obviously loved my many.
I really hate to hear stories like this.
My thoughts go out to his family and friends. RIP
A Tragedy!
Another young man's life cut short by violence! One of the brightest young men in the area, committed to family, friends and a sport he excelled in. Cut short by a common street thug! What I want to happen to the person who did this can not be printed! RIP young man! My most sincere condolences to family and friends!
THE GOOD DIE YOUNG....
Ive been a fan of Oscar Smith footbal program for the past 4yrs and now my daughter attends the school.I watch this undersized kid work out there under the lights.What an amazing kid he was.I was saddened when I heard about his death.My daughter was just wakeing up this morning when I went in her room and asked her did she know Lonnie Andrews...her eyes lite up with joy as she shared some of the funny things that he did during his senior year at Smith.My heart paused as I informed her of his death...she teared up asking how and why.What time he was out does not matter. People are killing people in broad daylight.My prayers goes out to the family.
minding his own business
at 230 in the morning in a bad section of town. hear that same story all the time
Just terrible news
What else can you say? A young man with a future gunned down like he was nothing. How can we sustain losing such promising people? He had a promising life and he deserved to live it. Someone needs to be put to sleep for this horrific crime. I hope the community steps up and offers up the animal that killed this young man. I'll bet when they find the loser that did this crime they also will discover a long and varied rap sheet. It's just a darn shame
lonnie
I was Lonnies school bus driver that took him home every day after football & track practices at Crestwood for 3 years, He was a great person he always was in a good mood always making people laugh he got along with everyone. When i heard what happened to him my heart just broke for his family, I know he will be missed by everyone that knew him. My prayers go out for his family and friends. R.I.P. LONNIE
why????????
Why can't our children have a chance? A good future? Why does it seem to all end in violence, why can't our men experience their full manhood without jail interuptions, or gang interuptions, guns, drugs, violence? I just don't understand. When will our children be able to be out and about having a good time and not have to worry about getting shot. This world frightens me!!! I'm afraid for my son. I know I can't keep him attached to my hip, but I tell you all I'm afraid for my son. R.I.P
So Surreal
I knew Lonnie. I had always known that he was great at football, but I got to know him through the track team about two years ago. He had a personality that always made you laugh. I still remember him making us all laugh at the Long Jump Pit. He will be missed--missed a lot. Rest in Peace, Lonnie.
What ashame when will all
What ashame when will all this end ?
Bewitching hour
Strange things happen after midnight...it's too bad this young man didn't go straight home then..he might still be with us.