COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A teenager was shot and killed Friday morning in his Loretta Avenue home.
Dennis Lewis, a senior at Columbus East High School, was shot and killed just before 2 a.m., NBC 4’s Mike Bowersock reported.
Four to five masked men came into the Lewis home looking for money. They pushed him around and then shot and killed the 17-year-old, Bowersock reported.
"They started throwing pillows and stuff looking for money. There wasn't no money. I'm on welfare. I’m on Social Security," said April Lewis, Dennis’ mother.
April said one of the masked men held a gun to her head while the others scoured the home for cash.
Dennis heard the commotion and leapt to his mother's defense.
“My son was in the room, and he saved me,” she said.
April said her son fought with at least three of the men before one fired a gun, striking her son in the upper body.
Dennis’ twin brother, Derris, wasn’t home during the break-in. This is what he said about Dennis early Friday morning, “A good student who went to East High School,” Derris said about his brother. “Straight A’s, top-10 percent of his class … our class.”
“This is not just random,” Derris said.
Derris fought back tears as he described what it’s like to loose a twin: “I just have to be strong. I gotta be the older one now. He was 20 seconds apart. I gotta be the older one to help the family."
“I only have one twin now,” April said.
Crisis counselors were at Lewis' school Friday.
"Academically doing well, socially doing well, his character was just impeccable," Principal Edward P. Johnson, of East High School, said. "I have sons and I would be very proud to have him as my own son."
Lewis was a member of the drama club, played tuba in the marching band and helped to tutor fellow students.
"He was giving, and nice, and just a kind person," Nina Meeks, a classmate, said. "Nothing about him was bad… nothing about him."
Dennis was an employee of Giant Eagle, and company representatives issued the following statement Friday afternoon: "On behalf of Giant Eagle, we are deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Dennis Lewis. He was a hardworking and promising young man. We are currently offering grief counseling and other assistance to coworkers affected by this tragedy and working to help Dennis’ family with some of their food and other miscellaneous needs."
In addition, a memorial fund has been opened in Dennis' name at local Fifth-Third Banks.
Homicide detectives have no suspects and are asking anyone with information to call 614-645-4730.
Stay tuned to NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for the latest information.
To send a news tip or submit a story idea, e-mail us at stories@nbc4i.com.
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