SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The community of Sacramento High School is grieving the loss of their star athlete, 17-year-old Jaylen Betschart, who was shot and killed on October 3 in broad daylight.
Sacramento police arrested another 17-year-old boy on October 8, in connection to Betschart's killing.
It happened in the 3800 block of Jackson Road, Betschart was found dead in his car from a gunshot wound, after it crashed into a power pole.
"This is our son that was lost here in this community. It's hard," said Ken Powell, the Dean of Students at Sacramento High School. "He just loved everyone, I mean he was one of those kids that you knew had such a bright future."
Powell said he has known Jaylen since he was in fourth grade. He said the Sacramento High School senior, who was preparing to graduate in May, was their star quarterback but also played basketball and baseball.
"He was a good kid. I know a lot of people say that, but this one, I mean we lost an angel," he said.
A second, growing roadside memorial sits outside of the East Sacramento Little League Field Betschart grew up playing on. The memorial was started just a day after another 17-year-old boy was arrested in this case.
"To me, the senselessness of this act, what created the deepness to wanting to kill this young man?" said Berry Accius, founder of Voice of the Youth.
Accius says he worked diligently with the Black Child Legacy Campaign to get the number of youth homicides down to zero for two years straight, but that record is now tarnished.
"So the COVID-19 hitting created a different element of pressure where our young people have a lot more time and the idle time is usually the devil's playground," he said.
Moving forward, he's encouraging all parents to keep a closer watch on their kids, know who they're hanging out with and where they're going at all times.
"Because they are screaming and begging for help but sometimes that's not even being seen," he said.
There are still so many unanswered questions in this case.
If you have any information related to this shooting, you are asked to call Sacramento Police right away. You can always remain anonymous by calling Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-443-HELP.
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