2 charged in death of football player

Two men have been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy who shielded two girls from the gunfire, a Tennessee prosecutor announced Thursday.

Zaevion Dobson was praised by President Barack Obama as a hero shortly after the teenager was killed Dec. 17, 2015. Since then he has also been honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, and there is a Zaevion Dobson Memorial Playground and Park in the works near his Knoxville home.

Christopher Bassett and Richard Williams were indicted Wednesday in Zaevion’s death, Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen said at a news conference. They are also charged with the attempted firstdegree murders of eight other people.

At a January hearing to revoke Bassett’s probation in a separate case, a detective testified that Bassett and two others went to the housing development where Zaevion and friends were gathered and shot into the group of teenagers. Zaevion was killed, but the two girls he shielded were unhurt.

Zaevion was a sophomore at Fulton High School, where he played football.