Not again! (Tucker teacher/student killed...brother/father of FOFCer)

[AnalBumCover]

I'd been in and out of the FOFC loop during the week, and this is the first time reading this post.

digamma, please know that i am including you and your family in my prayers.

[stkelly52]

I didn't get a chance to check the board yesterday or until just now so I am just reading this for the first time. I am so sorry about your loss. I can't even conceive of what you are going through at this time. Please know that you are in my prayers.

[PilotMan]

I have been away, and no words that I can think to type here can say it better than I am sorry, and will be thinking and grieving your loss. So very sad.

[Godzilla Blitz]

I just saw this as well. I'm very sorry. My condolences.

[jaygr]

This is awful. I am terribly sorry. My condolences to you and your family, digamma. You will all be in my prayers.

[Ben E Lou]

For those that have asked, I've now stickied the thread with the memorial scholarship fund info.

--Ben

[Ben E Lou]

No real new information in this article, but a pretty good recap of the whole situation and aftermath, from today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Tucker is trying to deal with shootings
Donna Williams Lewis - Staff
Thursday, January 22, 2004

Tucker High School is trying to return to normal this week as students and faculty at
the central DeKalb County school grapple with the loss of longtime coach Billy Venable and his son Bill, a varsity football player.

Venable, 55, and his son, 17, were shot to death last week by an armed man who invaded their Lilburn home.

The intruder, identified as Terry James Chaney, 19, also of Lilburn, was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police in nearby woods. Lilburn police said the Jan. 13 incident appeared to be a random act of violence.

In the days following the Venables' deaths, the close-knit Tucker community gathered to share memories of the coach and his son. Memorial services were held at Tucker First Baptist Church, where the football team holds pregame devotional services.

Venable's wife, Susan, joined students, other family members and friends in a candlelight vigil on the steps of Tucker High School.

About 1,000 people attended the funeral for the Venables at Smoke Rise Baptist Church in Stone Mountain.

The elder Venable, known at Tucker High as "Coach V," was coach of the football team's offensive line. He taught for 26 years in DeKalb, the last 16 at Tucker High. He had been a Tiger football, wrestling and track coach since 1990.

His son Bill was a member of the youth group at Smoke Rise and a senior at Tucker High. He was the starting center on the football team and a member of the wrestling team.

"Coach V really had a lot of fun with his kid being a senior this year and . . . getting to play in the [Georgia] Dome," said Tucker head football coach Bill Ballard.

After a winning season, Tucker lost in a 27-24 overtime game Dec. 13 to Statesboro in the Class AAAA semifinals at the Georgia Dome.

After the shootings last week, Ballard and football coach David Roman, who shared an office with Venable, traveled to Athens to bring Venable's daughter home from college.

Later, Ballard organized a work crew of about 20 friends of Venable's to clean up the house for his widow. The volunteers exchanged a bullet-marred front door with a new one. They also installed a door frame and repainted the foyer and stairwell.

"We were a very close-knit coaching staff," Ballard said, "and that's why this is really hard for us."

Tucker High principal Scott Butler said the deaths of Venable and his son were a heavy blow for the high school and the Tucker community.

"Everywhere lots of these people look around, there are going to be memories, and with memories, there will be hurt," Butler said. "But time heals wounds."

[Ben E Lou]

Wow. The continued press coverage is remarkable. There was a big truck from 11-Alive News at the school when I drove past there this morning. It was the kind with the big extendable dish that they use for live remotes. I guess they're doing something live for their morning news show. In as big of a city as Atlanta is, the human interest in this story has been heartening.

[timmae]

sad, sad string of events...