8th grader gunned down in Louisiana causes call for change

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — An 8th grader who just made the football team at his Louisiana middle school has been shot to death.

His aunt, Tammy Linson, tells The Advocate that 14-year-old Brionne "BG" Linson's dreams of becoming a police officer were stopped short Friday when he was killed in Baton Rouge.

"He wanted to be a police officer because he liked helping people," she said. "Now he can't be nothing."

An 18-year-old was found shot in the arm nearby. The newspaper says Brionne was shot in an area of the city where homeless people congregate due to its concentration of shelters and social services. It says law enforcement and residents say the area also has several drug houses.

Baton Rouge police have released few details about the shooting. They released Brionne's name and age Monday. They have yet to publicly identify the other wounded teen or say if they have a motive or suspect.

Linson said her nephew is the youngest of eight siblings and loved playing video games and riding his bike. She said he also enjoyed school, especially since he made the football team. She said his death should be a wake-up call.

The newspaper says its records of shooting deaths shows Brionne is the city's youngest victim of gun violence so far this year. It said a 15-year-old named Bobby Duncan Jr. was shot to death while riding his bike in April.

"Our kids are dying in the streets," Linson said. "As adults we need to come together and solve this."