A 16-year-old Allen High School student and football player is dead after being shot at a house party in Plano Saturday night, Plano police said Sunday.
According to a Sunday statement from Allen ISD, the student who died was sophomore Marquel Ellis Jr.
Officers said they were called to a house in the 3200 block of Peachtree Lane in Plano around 10 p.m. after someone reported hearing gunshots. Police later determined that the shots were fired at the house party full of teens, where several people were kicked out of the house and then fired a gun back into the house.
Ellis was shot and taken to a local hospital, where he later died.
Allen ISD released the following statement Sunday:
We were notified earlier today of the tragic incident that took the life of Marquel Ellis, Jr. Ellis was a sophomore at Allen High School. The school has arranged for counselors to be available for students and staff on Monday morning.
Police have not released any information on possible suspects yet.
Neighbors told WFAA the house where the shooting happened is a short-term rental property that is often rented out by large groups on the weekends.
"I was watching TV. Thought I heard fireworks at first, and then I was like, 'No, that's definitely gunshots,'" neighbor Renee McMenamy said about the shooting. "I'm emotional that [Ellis] passed away. The officer told me he thought he was going to make it. It's heartbreaking that a 16-year-old kid lost his life so senselessly."
This home is a short term rental property, but at some point today the listing on rental site Vrbo was taken down.
Screenshots show it was advertised with 17 beds and was going for more than $500 per night.
"There's constantly people in and out of the home," McMenamy said.
Ellis' football coach said he was a great teammate and an overall great kid.
You can see that in this tweet he published on Nov. 10: "My main goal right now is to go to college I'll think about the other stuff later."
Now, suddenly, his life is over after a party that ended in gunfire.
This is a developing story. Check back for new information. Download our free WFAA app to stay up-to-date on all news stories in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
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