'Fours up': Eastern Alamance High community mourns student found dead

The Orange County Sheriff's Office called deaths of 14-year-old Lyric Woods and 18-year-old Devin Clark homicide but has offered little information about who might be responsible.

Clark was a football player at Eastern Alamance High School, and schoolmates, family and friends remembered him there on Monday night. Dozens gathered in the stadium with black and blue balloons.

A steady stream of football players moved in silence, but with a purpose onto the field.

Not for practice, but to remember a fellow teammate.

Erik Battle said it hurts to lose a childhood friend of about 15 years.

"What happened to my friend? He’s not my friend, that’s my brother. They took my brother away from me," said Battle. "It hurts. It hurts."

Family members, friends, students and school leaders stood alongside one another, leaving all their emotions on the field.

"It’s hard to see these students out here grieve over something they shouldn’t have to grieve," said local parent Alexandria Blackwell.

Those grieving held "fours up" in the air representing Clark’s jersey number before releasing the balloons as a farewell.

"We won’t stop until we find justice for who killed my brother," said Battle.

On Monday afternoon the Alamance- Burlington School System issued a statement saying,

"Our ABSS family and community are deeply saddened today about the death of one of our Eastern High School students, Devin Clark.

Devin was a former Eagles Football player and will always be remembered as a kind-hearted, gentle giant who was well liked by his classmates.

The loss of a student is a difficult and challenging situation that can generate a high level of anxiety and distress in students. During this time, as the school community processes this tragic news and copes with grief, ABSS will have additional counselors from across the District at Eastern High School to support our students and staff.

We encourage families to talk with their children about this tragic event. Discussing thoughts and feelings about this situation is important in helping your child work through their grief.

Our condolences and thoughts go out to Devin’s family, friends, and classmates and to the Orange County School community who are also grieving the loss of a student there."

Clark's mother told WRAL News she doesn't know Lyric Woods or her family.

Orange County Schools released a statement saying Woods was a ninth grader at Cedar Ridge High School and they're deeply saddened by her death.

Leaders from both Orange County schools and Alamance -Burlington schools said grief counselors will be on hand to help students process the loss.