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Beloved East Bay teacher killed in mass shooting honored at graduation
An East Bay community came together Friday night to celebrate an 8th-grade graduation that was both a milestone and a moment of the legacy left by a beloved teacher killed in a mass shooting.
SAN PABLO, Calif. - An East Bay community came together Friday night to celebrate an 8th-grade graduation that was both a joyous and poignant moment in their lives.
Students at Caliber Beta Academy in San Pablo walked across the stage to receive their diplomas without their beloved English Language Arts teacher, Latetia Bobo, who was tragically killed in a mass shooting three months ago. \
However, her family and students ensured her legacy was a part of the ceremony.
Turning grief into purpose
The backstory:
Bobo’s life was cut short on March 7 when she was shot at a downtown Oakland nightclub.
According to authorities, two men exchanged gunfire, and Bobo was struck when one of the men fell while bullets from his rifle sprayed the crowd.
Three months later, her family is turning their profound grief into a determination to carry on the immense passion she had for helping others.
"She was excited about everything. She was extremely, extremely passionate," her sister, Lavonia Bobo, said. "She would give her all in everything."
'Be stubbornly determined to do good'
At the graduation ceremony, Bobo’s belief in the power of education lived on through her students.
Classmates demonstrated their love for their late teacher through the graduation caps and stoles they wore.
On the day before graduation, students were also gifted bracelets bearing the words that Bobo lived by: "Be stubbornly determined to do good and do it for Ms. Bobo."
During the ceremony, two students studying performing arts were awarded scholarships from a non-profit organization that Bobo co-founded.
Bobo's brother-in-law, Keith Norman, shared a powerful message directed at the graduating class as they move on to high school.
"Whatever this experience has been, whatever impact this made... use all that impact to drive you towards being different, being positive, [and] making change in this world," Norman said.
Beyond her dedication to the classroom, Bobo's family remembers her as a multi-talented force of nature.
She was a gifted musician, a television scriptwriter, and an avid world traveler who lived her 33 years with adventurous courage and conviction.
As the community heals, her family hopes her students remember the strength she instilled in them.
"While tragedy may happen, there can also be beauty from it," said Bobo's sister, LaShontae Norman. "Focus on the things that bring strength."
What you can do:
If you would like to support the Latetia Bobo Elise Bobo Scholarship Award, you can do so at http://bit.ly/ellerevefundraiser.
Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at Amber.Lee@Fox.com or text/leave a message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU, Instagram @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU.
The Source: Interviews with Latetia's family and her friend Brianna McKoy