Eastern Kentucky Teen Shot and Killed
Eastern Kentucky Teen Shot and Killed Save Email Print
Posted: 8:00 PM Dec 1, 2008
 Last Updated: 12:04 AM Dec 2, 2008
 Reporter: WSAZ News Staff
Email Address: news@wsaz.com
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PIKE COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) -- A teenager from eastern Kentucky was shot and killed during the weekend.

It happened Sunday morning near Belfry in Pike County. Police said Ray Rice died after the shooting. It happened at a friend's home. Investigators said it appears Rice and three other teens were getting ready for a hunting trip when Rice was shot, but they're still working to determine exactly what happened to the 16-year-old.

On Monday, students and teachers at Belfry High School were mourning the loss.
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Posted by: Briana J on Dec 9, 2008 at 03:11 PM
This is so horrilbe. Ray was one of my best friends. I went to school with him in elem. & middle. I will miss him so badd=( He was a great person && he belonged to church. He always made me laugh. There was never a time that I didn't have fun when he was around. I gave him a nick-name. I called him "Pinky". Lol it's a long story. But it is really funny. I will always have you in my heart. && Always Love You!!! 12/3/91-11/30/08...={{{
Posted by: shawna on Dec 7, 2008 at 12:01 AM
my heart really goes out to the family may god bless you all.i hope the truth comes out.so that poor baby can rest in peace.i'm really sorry for the family's loss.may god be with that baby.i don't even know him but i'm sure he was a wonderful kid.this world is crazy anymore . may god bless that baby and the family.
Posted by: an old friend :( on Dec 5, 2008 at 02:45 PM
You know , all my life I never would have thought that I would lose anyone close to me. It was like I lived in a dream world. Like it could never happen to me. Ray was a good friend of mine. I can't believe that this has happened. I wish that I could just hit rewind and it never happen. I am so sorry Marry Ellen . I wish that I could be there for you . Mom loved you dearly. i love you all.
Posted by: the truth on Dec 5, 2008 at 12:04 AM
shooting didnt occur at rays home . and they wasnt on a hunting trip or getting ready to be . it was in the back of the shooters house . ray didnt deserve to die .
Posted by: Tim on Dec 4, 2008 at 09:38 PM
I used to go to school with Ray a few years back and its not fair something like this to happen to him (R.I.P Raymond Rice)
Posted by: alex on Dec 3, 2008 at 10:03 PM
ray was one of the best friends that anyone could ask for but untill sunday when he was shoot i cryed so much after i heard about that it was so sadf to find out that ur best friend was shoot and killed i felt so sorry for his mom and family but after that i was praying and praying to god that all thngs will get better ray was the kind of person that was friends with everyone also you would never see ray ray without a dip of skoal in his mouth he was the kind of person that liked everyone if he was not with the girls he was with his home boyz he was the funniest person that anybody could go around he had a great persanlity he was friendly with everyone he did not hate anyone in this world everybody was his friend if u were not the best you were still his friend he loved everyone and everyone loved him ray man i feel so sorry that you did not get to see your 17th birthday man i feel so sorry for ur family and friends ray man i think i speak for everyone one when i say this we love u man
Posted by: Anonymous on Dec 3, 2008 at 09:45 PM
ray was one of the most funniest person you could be around. you would never see him without a dip of skoal in he was the preson who knew everone. he was the one that did not judge he just starting talking to you to make friends he was a cool kind of person that everone loved to hang out with if he was not with the girls he was talking to all of his other friend but me and ray ray were real good friends and i know that he did not dezer to go someone else should have gone but not him because he was the preson that loved everone there was not one person he was not friends with ray man i hate that you could not have been here for your brithday it would have been the best one yet man and everone loves u man i think i can speak for everyone when i say that but ray man you were a good friend to me and all others that you were friends with ray you just dont know how much we miss and love u we pray for ur family everynight and just jope that everything gets better for them and we love u man!
Posted by: Some on Dec 3, 2008 at 07:57 PM
People like Ray don't deserve to die. But things like this happen every single day and Ray was unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wasn't close to you, but you could say I was a friend, and there are other people who deserve this more than you. You were a great person. Rest in peace :]
Posted by: Rissa on Dec 3, 2008 at 11:16 AM
Raymond Rice Was The Coolest Little Dude That Ever Walk This Planet..I Went To school With Him For like 4 years =) He could always make me smile and i will never forget him..And I am sorry but you just cant say this was an acident..=( ...r.i.p...I Loved you Ray..=))) ... His Family is in My prayers..=)
Posted by: Brittany on Dec 3, 2008 at 08:24 AM
i loved ray, he was one of the most lovable people there ever was! he will be missed very much! im very sorry for his families loss! everybody loved ray ray! i called him yoshie but he hated it! coming to school everyday isnt the same without him! ray ray wasnt like everyone else, he was always laughing & joking around! you could never be sad around him because he would always make sure that by the end of the day u were always as happy as he was! he had the most cutest smile! he will always be in my heart & thoughts! RIP ray rice! I LOVE YOU!
Posted by: Sad in Ky on Dec 2, 2008 at 09:40 PM
From my understanding from what I heard on the radio today. This has been ruled a accident. Dont judge people, I dont believe this boy meant any harm. Both families needs prayers! My heart goes out to both of the families involved. I hate this happened! Alot of lives have been changed.
Posted by: Anonymous on Dec 2, 2008 at 07:32 PM
He was a good kid He would always make people laugh. Next year I would have started goinh to school with hime because i would bee in 9th grade and he would be in 11th grade it is really bad that he got shot for no reason
Posted by: Denise on Dec 2, 2008 at 07:04 PM
This is so sad :( i went all through middle school with Ray..how could someone be so selfish and take someone's life just in a split second..things are gettin so out of control these days with people not caring to take the lives of others..my love and prayers are out to his family and i hope they get the guy who killed him and punish him..we all love Ray and will terribly miss him :( R.I.P/ Ray we love you*
Posted by: Connie Hall on Dec 2, 2008 at 06:55 PM
Prayers go out for Ray Ray's Family.This was just a wonderful child always so happy around other kids.He has spent nights at my home with my son,he has played baseball with my son and he would always be a crowd getter, never a dull moment when Ray Ray was around.We love and will miss this lovable young boy.
Posted by: robert on Dec 2, 2008 at 06:43 PM
i don't know how someone could kill raymond he was my cousin and i love him alot and this is horrible that guy that done it doesn't deserve to live.
Posted by: Anonymous on Dec 2, 2008 at 01:54 PM
this has been happing alot latly...what are they wanting to do kill off the youth?? this up sets me so much...you just understand...well i hope they get who did this and hope they pay as well as the teenager did god blees this family and the people around them...i understand what they are going threw....trust me i do God bless
Posted by: Jenna on Dec 2, 2008 at 12:32 PM
Omg..People dont need to have guns they are dangerous and I loved this kid. I went to school with him since 3rd grade and I am goin to miss him a lot love you Ray I dont know how this could of happened Love and Prayers =(
Posted by: Anonymous on Dec 2, 2008 at 11:56 AM
I don't understand how someone else could take someone else's life. A young boy died for no reason. Do people use common sense anymore. I don't know the family or the boy; I pray he is in a better place and may God Bless your soul and Rest in Peace!
Posted by: ~*a friend*~ on Dec 2, 2008 at 10:41 AM
My prayers are with you all. I am so sorry that this has happened. Ray I will miss you always *&* you will never be forgotten. ! . We were all so close. We have lots of childhood memories. *&* they are great. ily R.I.P Ray
Posted by: Rj Muncy on Dec 2, 2008 at 08:11 AM
I knew Ray from a few years back and i will rilly miss him
Posted by: rusty on Dec 2, 2008 at 06:44 AM
I didn't know him but my daughter goes to school with him and she called me here in ashland to put Ray Ray's family on the prayer chain and our prayers go out to the family
Posted by: JoAnn on Dec 2, 2008 at 06:36 AM
This is just so terrible, my heart goes out to his Mom and family. Mary Ellen, I am SO SO sorry. I watched Ray-Ray grow up until he moved away. He lived next door to us at Maher. I was telling someone yesterday, he used to sneak out of his window late at night and come over and I found him asleep in my floor one night. I would tell him, Ray-Ray you can't sneak out of your window and come over here, you will get in trouble. He would just look at me and smile, and he would say, "I won't do it anymore". He would come over and eat, he loved to come to my house and eat, tickled me to death. He was the type of child that when he was around, you couldn't help but be happy because he was always happy and smiling!! He would come over and play with my kids all the time. He was the sweetest little boy then, I had not seen him in a long time. But this is so sad, and again my thoughts and prayers go out to his Mom and family!!
Posted by: Shawnaalley on Dec 2, 2008 at 03:35 AM
i knew raymond rice from where he wrkd w/ me at mcd's and every1 there loved him...he was the best person ever...RIP ray...u were loved by many
Posted by: Tonya on Dec 1, 2008 at 10:42 PM
Please correct story Ray did not die at his home.
Posted by: anonymous on Dec 1, 2008 at 10:22 PM
The shooting did not occur in his home.
Posted by: Miranda on Dec 1, 2008 at 09:59 PM
I pray for Raymond's family. I know they are taking this very hard & its sad that something like this had to happen right before his birthday & before christmas.. My prays go out to his family..!! R.I.P. Ray you will be sadly missed.!! :)
Posted by: sad on Dec 1, 2008 at 09:39 PM
This is so sad. My heart goes out to his family and friends. May God bless all of you and help you through this. Hunting is so dangerous. Whether it's bow or gun, it's so dangerous if you are not careful. Everyone should have to take a safety course every year before they are allowed to drag out the guns and arrows.
Posted by: Nikole on Dec 1, 2008 at 09:11 PM
I seriously wish this wouldn't have happened. Raymond was a good kid and he was doing good for himself. I just hope the family knows that they are in alot of peoples prayers and that Ray will be missed. Just let everyone know when the showing and funeral is and I'm sure alot of people will show up!
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The Yell: Comments for the Week of 1/4
  • Posted By: Fixed that for you: Any one who is paid by the general public, us, should have no problem taking urine tests. After all they are in the pubic debt for paying them. Its simple NO TEST, NO CHECK. This is not an attempt to violate rights, it is an attempt to enforce the publics right for our money to go to people in government and on welfare who can be TRUSTED.
  • Posted By: Chris to WSAZ: To all the workers and employees of WSAZ: Thank you for being there and allowing comments about the news.Our family watch only WSAZ news and enjoy each of you. I know that the recognition that you receive is little to none,but you deserve better.This goes out to the producers,cameramen,to everyone behind the scenes and the ones that are seen too. Thank you for having the best news program available to the public. God Bless Each and Everyone of You. Chris
  • Posted By: redbaron: in response to pablo on comment dated 01/06 - EXCUSE ME!! I do believe FIREFIGHTERS also risk their lives for total strangers and no they are NOT law enforcement!
  • Posted By: omg: I am so sick and tired of hearing how public school teachers are indebted to the public for their salary. Many of you are so freakin nosey that if your neighbor stopped too fast, you'd have to get a crane to remove your head from their rear. I am so tired of this drug test line. Teachers deserve to pee in peace and so do you. Why should teachers be forced to have their personal lives paraded all over the news? That is exactly what would happen. If a typical joe blow got fired from the coal mines for drugs, it wouldn't make front page news. A teacher being fired for drugs would. You people expect teachers to be the mother, father, grandparent, clergyman, counselor, as well as the teacher. You don't do anything with your kids but expect the teacher to fix all the problem you create. Some of them probably need drugs by the time they are done raising your spoiled kids who think the world owes them something on a silver platter. Take your own drug test before you get pregnant.
  • Posted By: Sophie: Re: The student (Hinzman?) being expelled for using foul language after being bullied & beaten on school grounds; you should not have been expelled for expressing your hurt, anger & disgust. You were a victim and did nothing. It is unreasonable to punish the victim - so what if he cussed - I'd cuss too if someone beat the beegeebers out of me. The kid who beat you should receive jail time & counciling; the kid who filmed you & released it on U-Tube should too. It has often been said that television is desensitizing our children so badly they have no empathy for others. This is a prime example. I hope the school board will have enough common sense to clear this victims school record of the incident as he should not have been expelled, and get him counciling also as such a trauma will surly have an effect on a young life.
  • Posted By: Boyd: Any one who is employed and gets paid by the general public, us, should have no problem taking urine tests. After all they are in the pubic debt for paying them for their work. Its simple NO TEST, NO JOB. This is not an attempt to violate rights, it is an attempt to enforce the publics right for federal, state and municipal employees who can be TRUSTED.
  • Posted By: George: As a parent I have no problem being drug tested. I'll stand in line right behind Katy.
  • Posted By: goodorbad: I look at it like this-if you dont have anything to hide, shut up and do the test!
  • Posted By: Rick: I think all teachers should be drug tested, I drive a transit bus for our county and I want the public to know I am drug free and teachers should want everyone to know the same, that their children are not in the care of people on drugs,if you have nothing to hide why object to random testing I know I don't
  • Posted By: Tea: I can't even imagine that our teachers have not been drug tested up until this time. Anyone who refuses should be fired. These are our children!!! People take drug test when they don't even work with people, let alone children. These are government jobs and we should have a say in what they have to do.
  • Posted By: Ari: Cheers to Rob-I feel ya!
  • Posted By: joe: I have worked for companies all over this nation and have had to take drug tests. Why should teachers be exempt from this practice? It is now common to be randomly tested(and I have been) so what makes a teacher any different than a steel worker. I can say proudly that I passed but I have seen those who didn't. They chose to use drugs and lost their jobs I didn't.
  • Posted By: Katy: As a teacher, I have no problem being randomly drug tested...as long as you agree to drug test the parents who enter the doors of my school as well. Most teachers deal with students who are exposed to/use more drugs and alcohol than any of the teachers. If these students or parents who are using drugs (and are not drug tested) enter our schools, the safety of the teachers and students are at risk. Since children spend more time with them, let's randomly drug test PARENTS, too!!!
  • Posted By: stephen: Why the heavy emphasis ont he damage to property and life Israel is doing . Where was the media uproar for years that Hamas was rocketing Israel irespective of innocent israelis.. Hamas is actualykilling their own citizens by firing rockets from UN schools and residents. Why does UN allow Hamas to use facilities for attacking Israel, then complain when Israel responds to protect their territory and citizens. Israel targets military targets, respons to from whence rockets or gun fire comes. What would we fire at if Huntington was attacked?Why does the media not put bla,e where balame belongs, and give moral support to the aggreived.What would America do if attacked? to whom would we listen? Russia, Saudi Arabia,Iran?.Media get REAL! Who has given Hamas and the Palestinians millions with which they could buy weapons---American taxpayers money!
  • Posted By: Robert: Although I feel for the employees that lost their positions at Cabell Huntington Hospital, at least more nurses were hired. I recently had a relative in the cardiac unit at Kings Daughters, in Ashland, and I was told that the nursing staff had been cut back and that no overtime was being given. This seems to be a drastic cut in patient care for a facility that spends thousands advertising that they are in the top 5% of cardiac hospitals in the country. I would be willing to wager that the Cleveland Clinic has not cut hours of those giving patient care.
  • Posted By: Boyd: If the state's budget is doing so well, why don't we use some of this money to help towns and cities in the state who are in trouble with their budget, or will this just become another pay raise for politicians?
  • Posted By: Rob: Why does everyone have to be so into using the term "racist" and have that kind of attitude. I know what my heritage is and who my ancestors were but you want to know what I consider myself? I AM AN AMERICAN! I was born and raised in this country and that's how I feel it should be. Born here, raised here.....then by God you are an American. Not an African American, not an Asian American etc. etc. You are an AMERICAN!
  • Posted By: Chris: To Ex-Officer: I agree with you 100% about the pay of police dept and the drug testing. I was formerly involved with the BCPD and had multiple ride alongs with the BCSO. I am probably one of their biggest critics due to having watch some of the bad side of the department for a long time. I wish that I could tell everything that I have seen officers do,which would put most of them behind bars or they'll lose their sheild, But retalliation is bad in our area. To the cops that do their job and do it with the best intentions, I proud of you and don't mean any disrespect. To the ones who I personally watch being more currupt then the "badguys" here,your day will be coming.
  • Posted By: Pablo: Teachers aren't the only ones underpaid. Law enforcement officers are underpaid also. And I'd like to speak about them. For example, I'm sure any parent would sacrifice their live for thier children. And several may give thier live to save their spouse. A few individuals may even do it for a close friend. But, I only know of 3 types of beings who will sacrifice thier lives for complete strangers; indeed even for people who hate them. The first would be our men and women in our armed forces. The second would be our law enforcement officers. And of course, third would be our Savior, Jesus Christ. Others are killed in the line of their employment, but not in order to save a complete stranger. Everytime a cop puts on his/her uniform, they can be a target for anyone upset about something. Even though it doesn't involve the cop personally, that very cop will give his life to save yours when a problem arises. We need to give our cops not only a wage, but a living wage and a great big THANKS.
  • Posted By: Craig: If what I am hearing is correct that Kanawha County teachers accepted a pay raise in return for submitting to drug testing, and then sued successfully so they do not have to be subject to testing, then why shouldn't we the taxpayers demand they return the raise?
  • Posted By: teresa: racist lmao i am one cherokee,german,irish,german,and who knows what else TIRED of hearing of racist comments u are either GOOD OR BAD k no skin color needed just evil or NOT
  • Posted By: Ex-Officer: I agree with Robert 100% I worked in law enforcement and loved the job but try to rise a family on less than 10.00 an hour (out of that pay for your own duty gear and gun). I believe that all public safety workers should be drug tested but i also believe that they should be paid for the job that they do. Not many people understand what a public safty worker goes through. Would you put your life on the line for this kind of pay? Remember the saying that you get what you pay for. I see this in several new officers in my area. Don't get me wrong there are still very good officers in law enforcement. Something really needs to be done about the low pay for these jobs.
  • Posted By: Garland: What's the difference between teachers and other workers(coal mineers, bus drivers, state employees,etc.)? Teachers aren't any better are they?
  • Posted By: : This is not a comment, but I would like comments on it please. What do you think of Poca High School? Racist or not?
  • Posted By: Robert: We the people, through our own self centeredness and apathy, have allowed our teachers and police officials to be some of the most underpaid people in the United States. We are trusting our childrens education and our public safety to the very people that are some of the most underpaid profesions in the U.S.. If I could change this, I would. However, I do believe that these people should be randomly drug tested. I work in the construction industry and I have no problem being drug tested. I have nothing to hide. I also believe that any person who is intrusted with the safety of others should have nothing to hide. This includes plitical officials up to and including the president.
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