RICHMOND, Va. — Two Richmond students, brother and sister Zion and Sadie Terry, killed in a domestic violence shooting in April are being remembered by their school principals for the lasting impressions they left on staff and classmates.
Zion Terry, 18, was a senior at John Marshall High School.
His 14-year-old sister, Sadie Terry, attended Thomas Henderson Middle School.
Both were killed in a domestic violence shooting in April.
Monica Murray, principal of John Marshall High School, described Zion as someone who made a point of looking out for others.
She said he would stop by the front office in the morning to greet staff and check in on those around him.
"He just had a special light, and he wanted to make sure everybody was good," Murray said.
Watch: Loved ones gather to honor Zion Terry
Zion carried a 4.4 GPA and was on track to graduate near the top of his class.
"He set that goal freshman year, he stuck to that goal," Murray said.
He had planned to attend Winston-Salem State University to pursue a career in nursing.
School leaders say they will honor him at graduation on May 27 and plan to present his diploma to his family.
"The opportunity that the world had to meet Zion was cut short, but we have been saying over the last week and a half that we are honored that we got the privilege to experience Zion Terry," Murray said.
At Thomas Henderson Middle School, Principal Allen Vernon is grappling with the loss of Sadie.
She was a peer mentor who loved art, writing, and expressing herself through the bright colors she wore.
"Sadie greeted me every day at the door at eight o'clock in the morning for two years straight," Vernon said. "I know that I'll never forget her."
In the Henderson hallways, signs reading "We Love You Sadie" and hearts for Zion serve as quiet reminders of two students whose impact is still deeply felt.
A funeral for Sadie and Zion is set for May 9, as family, friends and neighbors prepare to say goodbye.
The community has donated more than $50,000 through GoFundMe to help the children's mother Tiffany Terry,.
Terry's former boyfriend and Sadie's father, 41-year-old Levy Nelson, was arrested and charged connection with the shooting.
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