Voorheesville football standout fatally shot
Enterprise file photo — Michael Koff
James Lawitz, #20, made a spectacular catch over the outstretched hand of a Watervliet foe in a September 2011 game when he played for Voorheesville. In that game, Lawitz had a rushing touchdown and 45 yards receiving on two catches.
James Lawitz, who graduated from Clayton A. Bouton High School in Voorheesville in 2012, where he was a standout on the football team, was fatally shot on Sept. 15 in Henrico County, Virginia, where he had lived.
He was 30 years old.
Troy Vincent Charran Jr., 18, of Henrico was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to a release from the Henrico Police.
News of Lawitz’s death was reported locally on Sept. 23 on channels 6 and 13 news.
After graduating from Voorheesville in 2012, Lawitz went on to earn an associate’s degree from Hudson Valley Community College and a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, the mechanics of body movement, from Avila University, according to his obituary, in this week’s Enterprise.
He went on to coach football as an assistant at Greensboro College and the State University of New York at Albany and also worked as a personal trainer, and a youth sports coach and teacher, his obituary says. He recently passed the exams for a post in the local fire department.
“He excelled in sports, and especially shone in football: it was like he was born with a football in his hands, and a helmet on his head,” his family wrote. “James was named to all-star teams in high school, playing in a junior college bowl game, and also at Avila University ….
“James had a great big heart and would do anything for you. He thought deeply about things, felt passionately and loved greatly.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up, which, as of Sept. 24, had raised $16,835 toward a $20,000 goal with 195 donors.
