SUMTER, S.C. — Family, friends, and an entire community are mourning the loss of 9-year-old Gregory Robinson Jr.
Robinson, affectionately known as "Doodle," died Wednesday morning, two days after someone shot at his home Monday in Sumter. Deputies with the Sumter County Sheriff's Department said Robinson was lying in his bed when he was struck by gunfire.
“Doodle was one of the ones that rolled with me," said Bryan Jamar Brockington, Robinson's football coach. 'He's one of the ones in my game plan that got me, gonna have my team running half of practice. He was just that guy."
A leader, a team player, a go getter, that’s how Coach Jamar will remember his player. Robinson was a quarterback and running back with Gator Elite Sports.
“When you think about when you think about him, you always think about looking down because he's so small and he's looking up asking you whatever he want to ask you or say whatever he want to say,” Brockington said.
Coach Brockington said the last time he saw Robinson was Saturday, after he scored his very first touchdown of his career.
“He always had his team back. He always wanted to be a leader at nine year old. Sometimes you have kids 12 years old that won't want to step up, but he'll step up. Anytime you call his name, at any position, any situation, he's ready to go in there, and he's gone. He's going there to give it his best,” Brockington said.
On Monday, the Sumter Sheriff's Department says they responded to a call of a shooting at a mobile home on Bunneau Street. When deputies arrived, they found the young boy had been shot wounded. He was taken to the hospital but early Wednesday morning, Robinson died from his injuries.
Now the search is on for those responsible for his death.
“Our resources, personnel, technology, whatever it takes. We're gonna bring them to justice. I can assure you. I feel confident that we can identify the individuals with this case," Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis, said.
The sheriff's department says they’ve called in SLED to assist with the investigation and have formed a task force especially for this case.
“We have some leads that we're following. We have several officers, officers assigned to this case. I have also a task force that I assembled to this case,” Dennis said.
Coach Jamar says his team will honor Robinson's jersey number 55, forever.
“That jersey number, no body is ever wearing that again. We’re going to keep that number, it’s just his, that number 55, will no longer be worn,” Brockington said.
The Sumter County Sheriff's Department and solicitor is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone with information leading to arrest in the case. They urge anyone with any information to contact them directly.