President Barack Obama praises Zaevion William Dobson as 'a hero at 15'

Barack Obama described Zaevion William Dobson, a high school football player who was killed as he shielded three girls from gunfire, as a "hero" in a message posted on the president's official Twitter account.

The shooting that killed Dobson, 15, began Thursday night in Knoxville, Tennessee. Police said men drove to Dobson's neighborhood in retaliation for an earlier shooting and "randomly fired multiple times."

Obama took to Twitter on Saturday to praise Dobson and weigh in on the shootings, which police investigators believe to be gang-related.

Source:   ESPN.com news services