Beloved Ga. Teacher Who Inspired Young People Is Fatally Shot Outside His Apartment

This is so sad a beloved fourth-grade teacher in Atlanta is being remembered for inspiring others after he was fatally shot by a suspected carjacker.

via: People

A community is mourning after an Atlanta elementary school teacher was fatally shot outside his apartment by a possible carjacker.

Slater Elementary School teacher Ricardo Knox, 28, was shot to death outside his Atlanta apartment complex Monday night, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Cobb County Police believes Knox was the victim of a carjacking and was ambushed as he returned home to his apartment, WSBTV reports. According to Knox’s family, the Atlanta native dedicated his life to inspiring his students to be their best selves.

His sister, Diamond Knox, said he used his personal childhood experiences to connect with his students and set an example. The siblings grew up poor in Southwest Atlanta and graduated from high school a year apart. After earning their Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in college, they returned to Atlanta to teach.

“His mission was to show other young, black children that you could rise above any circumstances as long as you worked hard,” she said, according to the Journal-Constitution.

“There’s no one that did the things that he did, set the expectations that he did, influenced the community like he did, in the small amount of time that he did, at such a young age, that he impacted so many people,” Diamond told 11Alive. “He came here and did what he was set out to do. He left that legacy. He built the bridges for so many scholars to succeed.”

They were working together on earning their doctorates, she said. Diamond shared with the station the last text she received from her brother.

“They love you…everyone does,” the Nov. 10 text reads. “Who doesn’t like Diamonds? You’re awesome sauce. Continue to show the world what real Black women magic is. Always thank the Lord and remain humble.”

No arrests have been made in Knox’s death. Cobb County police could not be reached Thursday.

Sending condolences to the family, students as well of the community connected with this young man.