By Micha Green, AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor, mgreen@afro.com

Kevin Wilson Jr., 16, died after being shot several times behind an apartment building in Takoma Park according to authorities.

Police discovered Wilson suffering from several gunshot wounds in a parking lot behind the Belford Towers complex on New Hampshire Avenue after 7 p.m.  He was taken to a hospital where he died a few hours later.

Kevin Wilson, a talented athlete, was killed in Takoma Park. (Courtesy photo)

The 16-year-old was a rising junior at Montgomery Blair High School and a talented athlete. Having shown a lot of potential, Wilson was captain of the Maryland Seahawks travelling football team two years ago.

Wilson’s former coach, Jarvis Thomas, said he was a wonderful athlete with a promising future ahead of him.

“He played basically every position: quarterback, running back — was basically one of the star players on the team,” Thomas told NBC 4 Washington.

Yet Wilson did not only seek to entertain on the field, as he also brought joy to the people around him.

“Just a great young man, high spirits. Always made you laugh,” said Jarvis Thomas, Wilson’s former football coach. “That’s one thing I can say about Kevin; he always had us laughing.”

Police are now investigating to find motives and suspects in the case.

Detectives “are following strong leads in this case,” as they do not believe it was a random crime, according to WTOP.

Anyone with potentially helpful information is encouraged to call 1-866-411-TIPS for a cash reward.