The grandmother of a high school football player who was fatally shot in Georgia said she knew something was wrong the night before the slaying.
Maxine Smith, 51, raised her grandson Brandon Smith since he was an infant and has been left “heartbroken” after the teen was found shot dead Sunday a mile from the Manchester Police Department.
Smith told The Post that she had an inkling that something was bothering Brandon, but he never told her what it was.
“The way he looked at me, like he wanted to tell me something he couldn’t,” she said in a phone interview Wednesday of the last moment she had with him.
The 17-year-old had gone to bed early Thursday night — as was usual of the teen — and had stopped by his grandmother’s room, where she was playing games with his siblings, to say goodnight.
The next morning, she discovered he had snuck out some time that night when she went into his room to get him up for school.
“They took my grandbaby’s life too soon because he loved football and he was going to be someone,” she said. “He didn’t hurt nobody. He had a dream to take care of his family.”
Smith is certain his killer “knew him,” although she doesn’t have a clue who would want to harm her grandson.
Manchester Police, alongside the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI), have not named any suspects or made any arrests as of Wednesday afternoon. However, GBI did tell Smith they have “leads,” but didn’t reveal much else about the ongoing investigation to the grandmother.
Her grandson was found dead a day before his championship football game. At the event, his teammates walked out carrying a jersey bearing his number 52 to honor him.
Smith did not attend the game because she was too heartbroken too, and seeing the jersey “made me sad.”
His team, the Manchester Blue Devils, lost the game by one point.
Smith and Brandon’s three siblings – Janiyah, Janaya, and Brenlyn – are mourning his loss, with Janiyah taking it the hardest, according to Smith.
“They’re not doing too good,” she said. “Janiyah is taking it hard.”
The four siblings were “real close” and Brandon always “took care of his sisters and brother.”
Smith wants her grandson to be remembered for his goodness, saying he was always “good to people.” He used to rack leaves for his neighbors and play basketball and football with the neighborhood children.
“My grandchild didn’t do nothing wrong. I want the world to know how good he was, he was a good boy,” she said.