LITTLE ROCK — Little Rock Police do not have any suspects in the Saturday morning killing of an 18-year-old man just days after his high school graduation, a police spokesman said.
Terry Bullard, 18, was the lone victim of an early Saturday morning shooting in the parking lot north of Mediums Art Lounge, 521 Center St., according to a police report.
The Central High School graduate had gone out to celebrate his Thursday night graduation, Arleen McDuffie, Bullard’s mother, said in an interview Saturday night.
He asked his mother to use her car, and McDuffie said she remembers telling him to “behave.”
“Yes, ma’am,” his mother remembers him telling her before leaving with his characteristic smile.
McDuffie said her 6-foot-2 son with a “precious smile” was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time just months before his academic and college football career were about to dawn.
“Everything was finished,” said Bullard’s sister, Secoryia Bullard.
“All he had to do was wait for August.”
Bullard had plans to play football at Henderson State University, Secoryia Bullard said. There he would study business management.
Bullard started on the offensive and defensive lines for Central High School football Coach Scooter Register,who described “Big Terry Bullard” Saturday as a coachable, selfless young man with a “contagious smile.”
“The other night when he walked in [Verizon Arena], he was proud and you could tell he was proud” because he had accomplished his goal of graduating high school, Register said.
On Sunday, the Rev. Benny Johnson, founder of Stop the Violence, and other community leaders called on those responsible for Bullard’s death to come forward.
“I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired of what’s going on in the community,” Johnson said at Unity Missionary Baptist Church in Little Rock.
“This kid had a promising career ... we want these people caught.”
Those with information can leave anonymous tips with the Crime Stoppers office at (501) 371-INFO or the Little Rock detective division at (501) 371-4660.
Arkansas, Pages 12 on 05/28/2012