First Place
Barbara Davidson
Los Angeles Times
"Stray Bullets"
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Je'Don Lasley, a junior receiver at Los Angeles High, chokes up as he delivers a pre-game prayer in the Romans' locker room during the team's first home game since Jas was killed. Jas used to lead the prayers. "I say whatever comes and hope we're all right," Lasley said. The team's coach, Hardy Williams, said athletes used to be largely excluded from gang violence. Yet his team almost lost a second player, Orlando Isles, who was struck in the right calf in a drive-by shooting. A friend standing next to him, Chris Taylor, died after being shot twice in the head. "At one time athletes were looked at as pretty prominent, even on the high school level," Williams said. "Gang members now, maybe it's like a notch in their belt or something."
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