Neal Boyd IV was a 16-year-old sophomore at Lew Wallace High School in Gary, Indiana, described as a quiet, well-regarded student in college preparatory classes who also mentored younger boys at his church. He was shot and killed in the school parking lot on the morning of March 30, 2001, while waiting for classes to begin.

According to police, the shooter was 17-year-old Donald Ray Burt Jr., a former Lew Wallace student expelled about two years earlier. After a brief exchange of words on the school lawn, Burt shot Neal once; Neal was heard asking for help before he died. Burt fled but was arrested about 45 minutes later at a relative’s home, unarmed, and told officers where he had hidden the gun. He confessed to the shooting; no clear motive was immediately established, though Burt’s father said Burt had been picked on by Neal and other students.

Burt was charged with murder and was to be tried as an adult. Neal’s funeral drew more than 900 attendees, and his father filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Gary Community School Corporation. Does anyone have recollections of Neal at Lew Wallace or information about tensions on campus that morning?