Ashton Price, who graduated from Palisades High School in 2015, died from a gunshot wound to the chest on August 1. He was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire during a shootout at a house party in Las Vegas. He was 23.
During his time at PaliHi, Price was a wide receiver in football and on the wrestling team.
Standing 6-5, he played football at Santa Monica College before transferring to Tyler College in Texas. He had a 3.8 grade point average and was one semester away from a degree in business.
When the pandemic closed the dorm rooms at his college in March, Price returned to California. He was working to find a place back in Tyler because he wanted to be one of the first students and players there when officials allowed it.
“Hopefully someone would have picked him up in the NFL,” his mother Simone Williams told a Las Vegas Sun reporter. The story was titled “Bystander Killed at Las Vegas Party Remembered for Caring Personality.”
This was Ashton’s first visit to Las Vegas. He drove up from his family’s home in Victorville.
He was one of two men shot at about 3:15 a.m. at a house illegally rented for a party at 5770 Ruby Creek Drive.
According to reports, “The other shooting victim, who self-transported to a hospital, has been discharged. No arrests or possible motive or suspect descriptions have been revealed.”
Ashton’s mom remembered her son as an inquisitive little boy who adored bugs, birds and reptiles. And how she had to keep an eye on him when they were out, because he would stop with no notice to take a look at tiny creatures.
Williams, who has four surviving children, works two jobs at a call center and a warehouse. She said that her son’s teachers would complain because he would lose himself looking out windows trying to spot birds.
According to the Sun article, Williams said she harbors hate neither for his killer nor anyone else, but “I want to see that person face the criminal justice system, because someone like that shouldn’t be out in the streets.”
Circling the News is making a special plea to Palisadians to support this mother and her son who attended PaliHi. Donations can be made at: gofundme.com/f/ashton-price-funeral-expenses.
Ashton Price in front of Palisades High School in 2015.
Heart breaking news!!!!!!!