(Orlando Sentinel) When Lavardo Fisher wasn't tackling opponents on the football field, the 13-year-old boy was tackling the books in the classroom.
Sometimes, his coach recalled, the Ocoee Middle School eighth-grader would often discuss his homework assignments on the way to practice so he wouldn't forget them. And last year, he earned the distinguished title of Pop Warner All-American Scholar.
"When you think of Lavardo, you think, 'This is the kid I want my daughter to marry, this is the kid I want my daughter to go to prom with,'" said Lo Wood, who coaches Lavardo's team in Ocoee. "He was humble."
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Just after 11 p.m. on Monday, Lavardo became Orange County's eighth gunshot fatality in the past week — and the youngest victim in Orange and Seminole counties this year. Lavardo was playing Xbox on Sunday when he was accidentally shot in the back of the head by his cousin. The 18-year-old shooter was on a hoverboard and lost his balance, causing the gun to fire.