ORLANDO, Fla. – As police search for the person or people who shot and killed 16-year-old Evans High sophomore Tavyiah King early Sunday morning, Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon said the violence needs to stop.
“Enough is enough,” Rolon said. “How many more lives do we have to lose? How many young people do we have to lose in the process?”
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He said officers were called to the Wawa at Silver Star and John Young Parkway around 1 a.m. Sunday for reports of a shooting. They found King shot a few blocks away., records show. Investigators said she was not the intended target, though it’s possible the car she was in may have been targeted.
King is the niece of Orlando Commissioner Regina Hill.
“She was an honor student. Had a desire to be a veterinarian she loved pets,” Hill said. “How do we come together as a community to intervene so that those youth now don’t become murders?”
Bishop Kelvin Cobaris, who was on the Orange County Citizens Safety Task Force to curb crime, is also calling for an end to violence — especially teen violence.
“My heart is literally broken. I am emotionally exhausted,” Cobaris said.
He said the recent teen crime is becoming too familiar. He still remembers those two separate drive-by shootings last September that deputies say killed 3-year-old Daquane Felix and 14-year-old Joshua Atkinson in Orange County. Then, last December, 15-year-old Antwan Roberts was shot outside of his grandmother’s Parramore home. All of those cases are still unsolved.
Cobaris said people should speak up.
“If someone you know lost their life, you would want the community to come forward with what they know,” Cobaris said.
The task force was formed last year by Mayor Jerry Demings after a string of recent crime and gang-related shootings. Read more about their recommendations to address crime here.
If anyone can help make an arrest in the case involving Tavyiah King, call Orlando police or Crimeline right away at 1-800-423-TIPS. People can remain anonymous and tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.
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