Continuing Coverage by:

Jarrett Lane

Jarrett LaneJarrett Lane rose to the top at Narrows High School in the tiny town of Narrows in Southwest Virginia.

He was valedictorian of the class of 2003, carrying a grade-point average of more than 4.0. He lettered in four sports, participated in academic competitions and played trombone in the band.

"He was the kid who did all the dirty work and got none of the glory," said Todd Lusk, who was Lane’s varsity basketball coach and neighbor. "He didn’t care if he didn’t get the glory as long as we got the win."

Narrows High School Principal Robert Stump said the school asked a lot of Lane because it’s so small. It had about 300 students in grades eight through 12 while he was enrolled. The town of Narrows, which is split by the New River in Giles County, had just more than 2,000 residents in the 2000 census.

Stump said Lane’s family was too upset yesterday to speak with reporters and had asked school officials to serve as intermediaries.

Lane, a senior at Tech who was majoring in civil engineering, was the youngest of three children and "what every parent hopes their kid grows up to be," Lusk said.

A memorial was set up in the school’s lobby with flowers, candles and Lane’s athletic jerseys and yearbooks. A vigil was scheduled for last night at the town’s First Baptist Church.

As word of Lane’s death spread Monday evening, more than 100 of his former classmates, friends, even students from rival Giles High School gathered at the town’s recreation center.

Lane recently learned that he’d been accepted for graduate school at the University of Florida. He planned to study coastal engineering.

Justin Waldron, who graduated from Narrows High in 2006, said he considered Lane a mentor.

Waldron said Lane was determined during high school to attend Virginia Tech but was now eager to continue his studies in Florida.

"He was set on becoming something great and making something of himself."

— Will Jones, Media General News Service

  • Jarrett Lane’s Video Profile | Jarrett Lane Memorial

    • « Back to Main Victims Page