Tributes pour in after youth football coach is fatally shot in front of his team

A 37-year-old youth football coach in Cincinnati was shot and killed in front of his team after training ended on Tuesday night. Cincinnati police said Jermaine Knox had ended practice with his Trojan Black team when he was gunned down, WLWT reported.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Another individual also sustained injuries from the shooting. He is expected to pull through. 

On Wednesday, several residents in the College Hill community gathered to hold a vigil for the deceased coach. He was affectionately known as “Coach Maine” or “King Maine.” The attendees at the vigil included the deceased man’s family, friends, and young athletes.

“He’s going to be truly missed,” an attendee at the vigil said. “Good man. I can’t say anything bad about him because he didn’t have a bad bone, and he had a good heart.”

The coach was also fondly remembered for mentoring his young players both on and off the field. 

“If you knew Maine, you knew he loved every last one of these kids,” another person at the vigil said. “There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for anyone.”

Another attendee also said the deceased coach “loved this team with his heart and soul.”

“I only got one wish for the Trojan Black organization: to keep it going the same way he would.”

Authorities have since launched an investigation into the fatal incident.