The Withrow High School community is mourning the loss of Lamon Wiggins, 18, who was fatally shot just hours after celebrating his graduation. The joyous occasion quickly turned into a nightmare early Saturday morning when Wiggins was gunned down behind his school in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Lamon Wiggins was beaming with pride as he received his diploma Friday night, May 17, 2024. The excitement and hope for the future filled the air as caps were tossed and confetti fell. Around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, gunfire erupted during a celebratory gathering of 30-40 high school students behind Withrow High School. Medics rushed Wiggins to the hospital, but he died from his injuries.
Mariah Lanier, Wiggins’ aunt, spoke to the local media about the impact of his death on their family. “Lamon was everything,” she said. “He was love. He was our heart. You took something so precious from us, my sister’s only child.”
According to the Cincinnati Police Department, several vehicles were seen driving away from the scene, but no descriptions have been provided. Detectives returned to the scene on Monday, talking with students and searching for clues that might lead to the shooter. So far, no suspects have been identified, and the investigation is ongoing.
Wiggins’ family is devastated by the loss. Lanier shared that he was not a “street kid” but a smart, polite, and shy young man. “He wasn’t a street kid, far from it. He was just trying to go have a good time, a great time with his friends, enjoying his moment,” she said. “It was his moment, and they stole his moment.”
Wiggins had recently attended prom and was looking forward to starting a new chapter in his life. He planned to move to Georgia to live with his family in a month. “He strived. He did everything academically. He’s intelligent, smart, polite, real-mannered, and very, very, very, very shy,” Lanier added.
The Cincinnati Public Schools district has deployed its Crisis Response Team to Withrow High School to support students and staff. The district released a statement expressing its condolences: “Cincinnati Public Schools mourns the death of a Withrow University High School graduate, Lamon Wiggins. We recognize this event, and our sympathy and support remain with the family, friends, and school community.”
The community is rallying around Wiggins’ family, demanding justice for the young man who was taken too soon. “We want answers, we want justice, and we will get it,” Lanier stated. The family believes that Wiggins was not the intended target of the shooting.
Wiggins’ family wants him to know that he will always be remembered. Lanier shared a message: “You can talk to me in my dreams now. You live forever here, forever here,” she said, tapping her heart.