CHICAGO — Loved ones gathered Saturday in Chicago to honor the life of a murdered Clark Atlanta University baseball player.
Jatonne Sterling, 20, was shot and killed in the parking lot of the Lyke House Catholic Center off Beckwith Street in late February. The gunfire went off just after 1:30 p.m. just next to a student housing complex; police said Sterling knew the suspect.
While one man is facing murder charges in connection with the shooting, Sterling's family searched for closure during his celebration of life in his hometown at the Apostolic Assembly Church.
They spoke of his kindness, potential and love of baseball. He was a sophomore in college and known as a talented baseball player during his high school years.
His former coach Ernest Radcliff previously described Sterling as a young man with great integrity.
“He was an outstanding student-athlete who I pretty much raised. He (had) been with me since he was 12 years old in my program. One of the best kids you could ever want, a coach's dream,” Radcliff said.
Clark Atlanta students hosted a vigil for Sterling on campus the day after the shooting.