VIDEO: Students and Teammates Cope with the Loss of an Area High School Basketball Player

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI)-Students at West Point High School return to class on Monday for the first time since the tragic death of their senior classmate, Jashun Johnson.

Johnson was killed in a car accident late Saturday night.

The 18-year old was just weeks away from graduating high school.

“I haven’t been able to get much sleep in the past two days, I just been down about it,” said Sanquillen Russell, who was a close friend and teammate of Johnson’s.

Those close to Johnson said he always wore a smile on his face and had a knack for making people laugh.  Now his joyous spirit is being missed by his fellow classmates and teachers.

Students described the hallways as feeling “empty” without Johnson on Monday.

“It’s been like, straight zombie mode,” said Darrion Matthews, who was a close friends and teammates with Johnson. “It’s been real slow and sad.”

“Some people didn’t even come to class today because they knew how it was going to be,” said Russell.

Johnson was also a standout on the basketball court. The guard was someone that Russell and Matthews  both looked up to, on and off the court.

“It’s been tough because like I said, me and him been playing basketball for four years together,” said Russell. “That’s just like my real brother. Me and him got along well, we always played, and all that good stuff.”

“Before all the games he used to always, always listen to slow jams,” Matthews recalled. “Every time before a game he was listening to them. He used to dance a lot. He was a real funny, cool dude. If you was mad or something at practice. He was gonna make you laugh, he always is.”

The loss is weighing heavy on the minds of everyone at the school.

The untimely death comes just as students are preparing for state testing.

Pastors from the community as well as school counselors were made available for students and faculty members to help them cope with the loss, and stay focused during this difficult time.

“I know it’s going to affect them,” said Jermaine Taylor, principal at WPHS. “Especially those seniors who are in his class. I know they’re going to be distracted, so we just try to be there for them and provide all of the support that we can.”

“You know death is just something that young people don’t think about as much as older people,” said Missy Brown, counselor at WPHS. It’s kind of hard to explain, especially to young people, why something like this would happen. So it’s just important to listen to them, to find out, you know, what’s going through their heads and make sure that they don’t have any misconceptions.”

Johnson was a father to a young son, and had planned to sign with the military once he graduated from high school.