LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Thousands of college students returned to campuses across Kentucky for the first day of classes.
One of those students was supposed to be Mykel Waide, bound for the University of Louisville.
But early Sunday morning, the 18 year-old Waide was shot and killed in Lexington. Police are investigating this crime as a homicide. There are no suspects.
His former high school basketball coaches are now trying to console devastated teammates, but also each other.
"My wife and I looked at each other this morning and just said how we can still have tears left to cry," said Jay Bordas, an assistant with Tates Creek HS.
To Bordes, Waide was more than just one of his players. The teen his family called "Kel" had become another son to them over the past year, and an older brother for their kids.
"We became so close with him and he just became like another member of our family," said Bordas. "My little eight-year-old boy is walking around with Kel's towel on his head, he's crushed. And he's just asking me why. And I have no answers."
Just a few hours before Sunday's shooting, Bordas says he and his wife were trading messages with Kel.
"Told us he loved us. And said he was gonna make us proud and was so excited for school," said Bordas.
On Sunday afternoon, the couple drove to Louisville to help Kel's family by packing up his dorm room. Bordas couldn't help but be overwhelmed by what he found.
"Seeing the snacks that he loved to eat. When he would raid my pantry and eat every item of food that I had, or drink my last water. And you know I would just give anything to spend another $200 on groceries on him," said Bordas.
Bordas says his youngest son will now wear number four in Kel's memory, and the team will find a way to keep him close to their hearts throughout the year. There will be a balloon release in Kel's memory on Tuesday at 7:00 pm at Douglass Park.
There is a GoFundMe page set up to support the Waide family.
