KNOXVILLE - Officials are planning a memorial park in Knoxville that will honor a 15-year-old who died shielding two girls from gunfire.
The site of the proposed park in the Lonsdale neighborhood is just feet away from where Zaevion Dobson was killed in December during what police have called a gang-related shooting, according to media outlets. No one has been charged in Dobson's death.
Zenobia Dobson, Zaevion Dobson's mother, suggested the park as a safe space for children to play, said city spokesman Eric Vreeland.
"I feel for the kid whose parent doesn't want to take them anywhere (to play), or can't," Zenobia Dobson said at the time.
Zaevion Dobson Memorial Playground and Park will cost about $60,000. Knoxville's Community Development Corp. and steel company Gerdau have agreed to donate land for the park. Knoxville's Community Development Corp. will own and operate the playground.
The playground will be for children 12 and younger, said KCDC Executive Director Art Cate. In addition to the playground, preliminary plans include a wide lawn, climbing logs or boulders, seating for parents and a small amphitheater. At the entrance, a memorial will bear Dobson's name and likeness.
A public campaign is underway to raise another $40,000 for the park.