A Massachusetts youth football program is mourning the loss of its second child athlete in six months, after a 15-year-old boy was killed on Saturday night at a mall in Brockton.
Tymari Albertson, 15, was shot twice while he was in the parking lot of Westgate Mall at around 7 p.m. on March 22. He later died at the hospital.
Another teen, Cevannah Alvarez, 18, was also killed in the shooting.
The suspected shooter, 22-year-old Davinci Leonard of Brockton, was not in custody as of Monday and is considered armed and dangerous, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.
In a sorrowful post on Monday night, the Brockton Raiders Youth Football & Cheer program announced Albertson’s death to its community, and plans for a memorial on Tuesday evening.
It was just over six months after another child on the team unexpectedly died.
“It is with immense sorrow that we share the heartbreaking news of the tragic loss of another one of our very own Raiders kids … whose life was taken far too soon on Saturday night,” the Facebook post began.
“Tymari was a force — loud, outspoken, and full of life,” the post read.
Known as “Bull,” Albertson was a “gifted athlete beyond his years” who played with older teams, “never backed down from a challenge” and had an “undeniable presence,” his youth football team said.
“He had a heart just as big as his personality, always looking out for others and bringing energy everywhere he went,” Albertson’s team wrote.
“His absence will be deeply felt.”
The team extended its condolences to Albertson’s family, friends and loved ones, and said the “entire Brockton community mourns this devastating loss.”
Albertson’s killing comes after another child on the youth football team, 4th-grade student Davien Taylor, died from an asthma attack in September 2024, according to another post from the team.
A balloon release, open to friends and family of Albertson, was coordinated by the teenager’s friends and will be held on Tuesday evening at the East Middle School in Brockton.
Donations for Albertson’s family can be sent directly to the George Lopes Funeral Home in Brockton, the youth program shared. More information on donations and the balloon release can be found on the Brockton Raider’s Facebook post.
“Please keep Tymari’s family in your thoughts during this difficult time,” the team said.
