Louisville student, 15, killed in shooting months after being stabbed saving girl from sexual harassment
A Louisville high school student was shot dead by a teen gunman – just three months after he was stabbed trying to protect a 12-year-old girl who was being sexually harassed. Da’Jon Hayes-Burr, 15, died from gunshot wounds after being shot in Shawnee – a neighborhood in western Louisville, Kentucky – on Saturday night, with his family describing the killing as “tragic and senseless,” WAVE reported.A 14-year-old boy has since been charged with murder over the shooting.Hayes-Burr, who was about to start his sophomore year, was killed – just months after he bravely stepped in to protect Bristol Staisel, who was allegedly being harassed by Vasilis Sakellaridis, 45, at the airshow Thunder Over Louisville in April.Sakellaridis allegedly made lewd comments to the girl, prompting her to shout “pedophile” before Hayes-Burr jumped in, WDRB reported.Hayes-Burr and his pals formed a shield before tackling the man to the ground. “He [Sakellaridis] had pure evil in his eyes – that’s the way I can describe it,” Staisel’s mom Kristyn told WDRB. Sakellaridis, from Oregon, allegedly knifed Hayes-Burr in the stomach, but the boy was widely lauded for helping the schoolgirl. Kentucky Gov.Andy Beshear presented the boy with a letter and a challenge coin, an award that recognizes bravery.Despite being knifed, the teen revealed why he intervened.“Since I got a little sister, I wanted…if something happened to my little sister, I’d want somebody to help,” he told WAVE.Staisel said she wanted to make Hayes-Burr a bracelet to say thank you, and Kristyn hailed his bravery.“Finding out a 15-year-old was harmed — three years older than my daughter — just devastated me,” Kristyn said.“Somebody else’s child got hurt defending mine.
He put his life on the line, and for that I’m forever grateful.Those kids are heroes beyond heroes.
“Not only did they save her, but they potentially saved another child that night.”Sakellaridis was armed with...