When I first heard about what happened to youth basketball coach Emmanuel Bilson, it really affected me. He was only twenty-two, and people in St. Paul knew him as someone who cared about kids and sports. According to the police, he was shot on Rice Street shortly after midnight. They found him inside his silver Honda Civic, and it seemed like he had been hit multiple times.
They tried to save him. Some bystanders and paramedics performed CPR on him. Sadly, he passed away at Regions Hospital in under twenty minutes. The whole situation felt frightening because it unfolded so quickly and unexpectedly. The police reviewed the street cameras, and the footage showed a dark sedan stopping next to his car at a red light. Someone inside fired around nine shots before driving away. Detectives believe this was not random and are treating it as a targeted shooting.
The news spread through St. Paul, and many people felt the loss. Emmanuel graduated from Johnson High School in 2021. People there remember him as someone who played hard and supported others. He grew up in St. Paul and held various jobs to help his single mother. He worked at Amazon and took weekend security shifts at Como Park. Despite all that, he still found time to coach youth basketball at Arlington Hills Community Center. I have coached kids before and know how much energy it takes, so I respect him even more for doing it while managing everything else in life.
A GoFundMe page titled “Support Emmanuel Bilson’s Final Farewell” was started by Kojo Frimpong from St. Paul. It aims to help his family cover the funeral expenses and other costs that come with losing someone so suddenly. Kojo mentioned that the family is going through a painful time because they have to plan Emmanuel’s farewell amid all this heartbreak.
Many people have shared their support online. A lot of them never met him, but still felt sadness because he was young, he contributed to the community, and he had responsibilities just like everyone else. It feels wrong when someone doing good is taken away like this.
My thoughts are with his family and everyone close to him. I hope they find the strength they need during this difficult time.
Rest in peace, Emmanuel. You may also be interested in: Michigan Players Tried To Confront OSU Players Near Locker Rooms After Rivalry Game
