Slain athlete's viewing continues this afternoon - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

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QUITMAN, GA (WALB) -

The family of Ed Christian is holding a public viewing of his body until 8:00 this evening, at the BTW Funeral Home, 1108 East Screven Street in Quitman.

The funeral service will be held Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at Mathis City Auditorium, 2300 North Ashley St., Valdosta.

As the community grieves the death of  Ed Christian, the former Lowndes High football player who was killed in a mass shooting in Auburn, they are relieved that his accused killer is now in jail.

Ed Christian was a man kids looked up to and adults respected. He was a big man who made a big impact in south Georgia. 

The Lowndes High campus is the old stomping grounds for the late Ed Christian. One of his former teachers says he was not one to get in trouble. 

"You could never convince me he was doing any wrong when this happened," said Lowndes High English teacher Andrea Bridges. "He was always the kind of kid that would be a peacemaker and doing the right think and making right decisions."

Christian signed on to play football at Auburn. But, he had to quit football because of an injury. He stayed at Auburn to pursue his degree.

Teachers remember his last visit to Lowndes High over spring break. 

"We were just talking about how with his injury, he wasn't playing football," said Lowndes High math teacher Krista Pearson. "By him still trying to get his degree, he still had goals. He had a lot of stuff he wanted to accomplish in life."

Ed was a man with a large family. They are expecting many people to come pay their respects. 

"He has his family in Thomasville and he has his school there," Pearson said. "He came to Lowndes and he has people here he has impacted. Then he went to Auburn and he has impacted people everywhere he has been."

It is fitting that a big and strong man leaves a large legacy behind. The grief process is tough for Lowndes County. 

22-year old Desmonte Leonard, the man accused of killing Christian and two other men, surrendered to US Marshals in Montgomery is charged with three counts of capital murder.

 

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