CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Gabe Cooley -- the local high school football player -- one of several across the Coastal Bend -- would've been gearing up to play tonight.
But his life tragically ended Sunday after another man walked into the Calallen Walmart and stabbed the teenager.
Before the game, the team captains carried out the young man's jersey as a symbolic way to say, 'he's still with us.' Cornerstone High School joined by carrying a jersey with the number 80, and handing Coach Phil Danaher a commemorative football.
Here's what Coach Danaher had to say:
"He was the kind of kid that I always gave him a hard time. He was one of our kickers and I'd walk up to him while he was kicking and I'd tell him 'we're playing at AT&T and we're down by two points you gotta make this field goal and you got five seconds to do it,' and I counted off '5, 4, 3, 2, 1' and he'd miss it and turn around and say 'every time you do that to me, coach, you put pressure on me.' I'd say 'what do you think is gonna happen at AT&T?' but no, he was a good kid and we'd joke about it all the time."
New details are unfolding from a police report obtained by 3News. It shows the suspect Billy Ferguson admitted to attacking Cooley at random.
On August 23, in the middle of the afternoon, police say Ferguson stabbed Cooley inside the store.
Witnesses say Cooley was standing in the middle of one of the aisles when Ferguson approached him, stabbing him multiple times. The teen was rushed to an area hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Following the stabbing -- Ferguson was taken to the Corpus Christi Detention Center. He's now at the Nueces County jail where we're told he can be held for up to 90 days.
While he has not yet been formally charged with the teen's Murder -- a representative for the Nueces County District Attorney's Office tells us they believe that will happen soon.
Meanwhile, the family, community and school has been left to mourn the loss of one of their own. Tonight, the Calallen football game will honor Cooley before their first game of the 2020 season.
Highlights from San Antonio Cornerstone vs Calallen
