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15-year-old boy shot dead as he gets off school bus, just months after his brother's murder

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A 15-year-old was shot dead as he got off the school bus, just months after his teenage brother was also murdered.

Earkavion Lee, 15, was getting off the school bus in Columbus, Georgia, on Thursday afternoon when he was shot. Police arrived at the scene and Lee was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at around 5:15 p.m.

That same day, police arrested 20-year-old Roannil Clanton in connection with the shooting.

Authorities have not disclosed how they identified Clanton as a suspect or given a possible motive for the murder.

Clanton was charged with murder and six counts of aggravated assault. He is being held in jail pending his court date scheduled for Tuesday.

Roannil Clanton, 20, was charged with murder for shooting a 15-year-old boy. The victim's brother was also murdered earlier this year.
Roannil Clanton, 20, was charged with murder for shooting a 15-year-old boy. The victim's brother was also murdered earlier this year. (Columbus Police)

Lee was a freshman at Kendrick High School in Muscogee County and the school district released a statement following his death.

“The Muscogee County School District mourns the tragic loss of one of our students, Earkavion Lee, a ninth-grader at Kendrick High School, to senseless gun violence,” it said. “Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to his family, friends and the entire school community during this incredibly difficult time.”

Lee is the brother of 18-year-old Earkus Porter Jr., who was shot and killed in the same city in February, according to WTVM. Porter's family told the newspaper at the time that Earkus was lured to the scene where he was shot.

“He's not a night owl, he's a gamer. He likes to sit at home and play the game. Everyone who knows me knows that my son loves the game,” his mother said at the time.

Police have not commented on whether the two shootings are related.

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