This past Sunday, former Benson High School Track Star Ny’Cole Griffin was fatally shot. The 30 year old was killed in Southeast Portland’s Buckman neighborhood. It is being investigated as a homicide. Family and friends are mourning their loss.
By all accounts, Griffin was a major talent who was also a considerate person towards others. He was a standout in track and field. He had a long history of first-place finishes. His perceived future in sports was cut short, however. Ny’Cole caught the flu in the 11th grade. The virus was so bad for him that he was unable to compete his last year. His academics seemed to also be a part of it.
His family has not been given all of the answers. They are raising $25,000 on GoFundMe for Ny’Cole’s funeral expenses. This tragic killing marks the 33rd homicide in Portland so far in 2022. The current rate of killings is on pace to surpass last year’s record-setting 92 homicides.
Ny’Cole Griffin also attended King Elementary in Portland. He is known by many for the headlines as a Benson Polytechnic High School sophomore. He won a state title in the 200-meter dash in just 21.88 seconds in 2008. Only a family member could beat him that year. His cousin Jordan Polk of Lincoln High barely got him in the 100-meter and earned crown.
His mother Nikki Griffin-Ware posted on Facebook about the murder saying that it shattered her and that, “No one is ever prepared for such circumstances.” A former coach said that Griffin was one of the best in the country in almost every age group that he ran.
There has not been much so far from police on the cause of the 1a.m., Sunday shooting near Southeast Ninth Avenue and Ash Street. A friend rushed Griffin to the hospital in a personal vehicle.
