Public prayer vigil draws hundreds for killed Yorktown high school football player

Hundreds of people, including family, friends, staff, students and community members, gathered on Saturday at the Yorktown High School football field for a prayer vigil and balloon release honoring star football player Christopher Wilson Jr.

The 17-year-old was a senior student and defensive end. Wilson had committed his college football career to West Virginia University. The Muncie Police Department found him dead in a car on Oct. fifth with multiple gunshot wounds.

Attendees were instructed to bring green, black and white balloons. Some crowd members wore jerseys labeled Wilson’s “79.”

The vigil for “The Big One” started at 1 p.m., opening with a prayer from Wayne Anderson Jr. Afterward, Wilson’s mother, Tywanna Price, and stepfather, Derrick Price, spoke to the crowd. After a countdown, everyone released their balloons. The sky was flooded with green, black and white. Some balloons were the shape of 7s, 9s and 1s. The field fell silent as the community mourned Wilson’s death together.

Tywanna Price called the outpouring of support a blessing.

“It’s what’s helping us cope with everything. It’s just perfect; it’s what I need right now,” Tywanna Price said.

“I don’t think they could have had enough balloons,” Derrick Price said. “Seeing this many balloons, we know he was an impact, but we really know he was an impact.”

Those who knew Wilson know he was a good kid. Wilson’s Grandmother, Brenda Gore, called him “a go-getter and real nice, respectable child.” She said he would come to her house all the time.

“Just as a teenager, he had so much life ahead of him. So much potential,” Gore said.

On the field, Gore said Wilson was a hard player. Wilson’s cousin, Angel Jackson, would agree.

“My boy was cold. He was the main reason why we won all the games for real,” Jackson said. “I like the way he carried himself as a person. He always made my days better. Back in school, when I was having a bad day, he came through for me.”

Lauren Williams is a manager for the football team and a junior at the high school. She said Wilson was one of her favorite players.

“I’m not the type of person to cry in front of people, but when I’m with my community and all my friends and really the team, they’ve helped a lot, and I never would have thought that such a big turnout would have happened,” Williams said.

Another classmate who knew Wilson is senior Broklyn Barba, who also grew up with him. Barba said he was positive and humble. She hopes the vigil shows the family how big of an impact Wilson was to people.

“Like he just did everything for everybody. He just didn’t care who it was. He was just a gentle giant.”

Yorktown High School is closing out its fall break, but students like senior Armani Taylor know the Big One’s absence will be felt.

“Classes aren’t going to be the same since we don’t have our big guy there no more,” Taylor said. “But I think that as long as we all come together and keep his name alive and just keep him in spirit, that we’ll all get through it together as a community.”

The family’s biggest call is justice for Wilson.

“We ask them, praying for justice for Big One. Just keep us in your hearts and your minds and your spirits and in your prayers,” Derrick Price said.

Tywanna Price said the uncertainty of the current investigation into her son’s killing is very hard for her.

“I’m praying for justice, and hopefully it come to the light,” Tywanna Price said.

The Muncie Police Department asks anyone with information on this case to contact the department at 765-747-4867.

Contact Daniel Huber with comments at daniel.huber@bsu.edu

This article is republished as part of a collaborative content-sharing agreement between Ball State Unified Media and Indiana Public Radio, established to expand access to high-quality journalism and to better inform and serve the public through trusted, in-depth reporting.