Hours after graduating, Raines High's Rashaud Fields becomes another Jacksonville shooting victim

Hours after Monday's 5 p.m. scheduled graduation for Raines High School, the emotions of joy, pride and achievement changed to grief and despair for many students, staff and parents.

Rashaud Fields, an 18-year-old new alumnus who also played football for the Vikings, was shot and killed about 10 p.m., the Raines National Alumni Association confirmed Tuesday.

"In the midst of celebrating our students graduating, we are saddened to learn that one of ours lost his life last night," the group tweeted. "... Our prayers and condolences to the family, friends and classmates of Viking Rashaud Fields, Class of 2022."

Jacksonville homicides in 2022: Here's who is dying and where they are dying

His mother, Yvonne Fields, had just a day earlier offered sincere gratitude on Facebook for the moment she was about to witness.

"Lord I just want to tell you thank u for everthing and your grace and mercy that u have brought us through the storm," she wrote. "Congratulations to my handsome baby boy Rashaud Fields. ... Tomorrow will be even better when I see my baby walk across that stage. I can't even sleep."

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office provided very little about what happened in the 10700 block of Pine Estates Road, advising that the victim had at least one gunshot wound and died after being taken to the hospital by rescue personnel. The location is near Leonid Road and Dunn Avenue on the Northside.

WJXT TV-4 cited a neighbor as saying a graduation party was going on with a lot of cars on the street.

Triple shooting: Teen arrested in Raines-Lee shooting

Darryl Arnold: Police seek tips in 2013 cold-case homicide of Raines High senior

With that said, the hope is there were witnesses.

Fields becomes at least the ninth 17- to 19-year-old homicide victim in the city this year, according to Times-Union records. Last year at the same time, only three victims were that age. There have been 62 killings so far in 2022, compared to 54 at this time last year.

Fields played on the defensive line for Raines in 11 games this year. He was credited with seven tackles, a sack and a forced fumble, according to his MaxPreps page.

On his Twitter account he said he is taking his talent to Keiser University in West Palm Beach.

Family member Tricshone Jiles posted on Facebook that she was helping prepare a video for a graduation party his parents were planning Tuesday, which would have also served as his college signing day.

"He graduated last night and everyone was so proud of him. He made it!!!!" she said. "His parents have been planning for this moment .... this day." Jiles said she sorted all the photos his mother handpicked of him being a baby til now. "All I saw was promise and his future ahead of him. But last night a coward took away that promise and future.

'God took him too soon:' 17-year-old Kaleb Floyd killed in Jacksonville shooting near First Coast High School

JSO: Teen shooting at Terry Parker High School likely gang-related

"My cousins should be celebrating their son’s college signing day and graduation party," she wrote. "Instead, they are planning his funeral. When does it end???? I’m mad as hell and everyone should be too. If you know something say something."

At the end of Tuesday's Jacksonville City Council meeting, council President Sam Newby said his own grandson graduated a week ago from University Christian.

"That could have been him," he said. "I could be the grandparent who’s grieving, so I’m committing my last month [as council president] for crime reduction because we must do something about that.”

"It’s just unimaginable to have an 18-year-old graduate from high school and two hours later, he’s dead," Newby said.

Times-Union staff writer David Bauerlein contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Florida teen shot, killed in Jacksonville hours after his graduation