When I heard about what happened to Landin Bodine, it weirdly struck me, really. Legally speaking, he was just an 18-year-old football player from Mt. Zion High School. He got shot while at Sportsman Park and succumbed at Decatur Memorial Hospital. Writing here feels heavy because this was all happening too early, when he was still discovering life.
The police responded to the park on East Lost Bridge Road the night of December 5. They found Landin injured by a gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital, but he did not survive. After several days of investigation and evidence review, they arrested a 23-year-old named Joshua J. Gregg. He is being charged with involuntary manslaughter and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. The case is still ongoing, and police want anyone who knows something to call the Criminal Investigations Division or Crime Stoppers.
The school district has put out a statement saying they are heartbroken after the loss of one of their students. I have never met Landin, but I can understand how it feels when a student dies in a school community because everything seems quiet for a while, as if part of the place is missing.
Landin’s family is going through a scenario no family should ever face. He was born in 2007 in the city of Decatur, where he lived with his brother, Carter, in a close-knit family. His father, Jason Bodine, works at the American Gentlemen Barber Company. His mother, Amanda White, owns her own cleaning service and takes classes at Richland Community College. Jason and Amanda may now be living separate lives, but at this moment, they have stood firm together in this same pain.
Jason is dating Heather Fields, and Amanda is married to Dalton White. Still, both families are holding onto memories of Landin and trying to stay strong. A friend named Amber shared how Landin was funny and respectful, and that she loved him like her own. Such statements tend to get everything even more realistic, because one can tell the very intense character who touched most people’s hearts without trying.
He is a very, very vibrant kid, according to most people. He had a big heart and one of those smiles that you remember. He carried his faith, even marking and memorizing Scripture on his arm. His parents say, however, that it gives them peace to know that he’s now in a place without pain with the Lord.
Friends started a GoFundMe campaign to offer support to the Bodine family during this difficult time. Many people are contributing money because the whole community is really feeling the loss. Landin will receive visitation on Friday, December 12, from four to six at United Funeral Home in Decatur.
A girl who worked with him at Krekels said she did not know him well but had known him long enough for him to have made a significant impact on her life. She said he was sweet, kind, always talking, always open. It’s incredible how some people can make such a significant impact in such a short time.
Landin’s memory will continue in the thoughts of his family, his friends, and all who crossed paths with him. You never get used to losing a young person. Yet the love he gave and the smiles he caused will keep him alive in the hearts of the people who knew him.
Rest In Peace, Landin Bodine. You may also be interested in: Former East Gaston Warriors Soccer Player Joseph Trite Passes Away At 24
