News4JAX meteorologist Katie Garner reports scattered showers and slick roads across Jacksonville, with heavier rain in northern communities. Forecast calls for continued rainfall throughout the day.

Members of the North Florida community gathered Thursday in Hilliard to honor volunteer firefighter Kevin Crews, remembered for his faith, service, and sacrifice after dying while battling a brush fire.

The funeral arrangements for a firefighter with the Hilliard Volunteer Fire Department, who died after suffering a medical emergency while battling the Old Dixie Highway Fire, were announced Monday.

The funeral arrangements for a firefighter with the Hilliard Volunteer Fire Department, who died after suffering a medical emergency while battling the Old Dixie Highway Fire, were announced Monday.

The community stepped up for firefighters battling the Conner-Nelson Fire in Nassau County.

A Sunoco gas station in Nassau County was damaged when storms rolled through Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia Monday afternoon.

The road to a state championship now runs through Jacksonville. For the first time in 50 years, the Florida High School Athletic Association basketball state championships are being hosted in the city - and the University of North Florida is at the center of it all.

A brush fire has shut down County Road 108 between Henry Smith and Bay Road in Hilliard, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office said.

Florida state officials warned of heightened wildfire risks across the state as dry conditions were expected to continue into 2026.

Nassau County Fire Rescue is asking drivers to avoid US Highway 1 north of Hilliard due to a brush fire on Saturday afternoon.

Family members are remembering Sandra Fogarty, Alisha Fogarty and Marissa Rowell as loving women whose lives were cut short nearly a week ago.

The family of three women who were shot and killed in Hilliard last week is asking for the community’s support as they grieve and care for a 5-year-old girl who witnessed the tragic incident.

The 34-year-old man who shot himself and three other women in Hilliard has died.

A 34-year-old man shot and killed three women in a Hilliard home before shooting himself Thursday night, according to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.

The high school football season is right around the corner and the schedules are here. Below are schedules for teams in the News4JAX coverage region, which includes north Florida and southeast Georgia.

When Damian Owens witnessed a teen's ATV strike a motorcyclist in Nassau County, he rushed to try and help. Now, an American flag stands where the victim once rode daily with his own flag flying.

The Florida Highway Patrol said a 65-year-old motorcyclist died Sunday afternoon after an ATV that was being driven in the wrong direction by a 14-year-old crashed into his bike in Nassau County.

The Florida Highway Patrol is urging drivers to exercise caution due to an active wildfire burning near Kings Road and County Road 108 in Nassau County.

The Jacksonville Air Traffic Control Center experienced telecommunications issues on Friday.

Three Hilliard residents died on Thursday morning in a collision in Nassau County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The Varsity 4 News4JAX Super 6 softball rankings will be published each Thursday in the regular season. Records are through Feb. 26 games.

The girls basketball state semifinals begin this week in Lakeland. Here’s a look at the Holmes County-Hilliard game in the Rural classification.

The opening round of the girls high school basketball playoffs are in the book with the favorites moving on to the second round. Top seeds Tocoi Creek (1-6A), Bishop Kenny (1-4A), Bolles (1-3A), Providence (1-2A), NFEI (1-1A) and Hilliard (3-1R) all coasted in their openers to advance.

The opening round of the boys high school basketball playoffs are in the book and all eight area No. 1 seeds are moving on.

Six area girls basketball teams earned top seeds in their region in the playoff brackets that were announced Sunday afternoon.

The boys high school basketball playoff field is set as the drive to the state semifinals in Lakeland begins on Feb. 12.

The small-town feel of Hilliard could soon be a thing of the past, or so some residents feel.

Baptist Health just opened an emergency and imaging center in Yulee, and it’s already looking toward future expansion.

Voters in two Nassau County communities will be electing local leaders in the November general election. In Fernandina Beach, there are elections for mayor and three seats on the city commission. Hilliard voters will elect three members of the town council from among four candidates on the ballot.

High school football season in Florida begins in less than a month. News4JAX has you covered. Here are the team-by-team schedules for schools in the North Florida coverage region.

A 32-year-old Hilliard man died Sunday when an SUV overturned in a crash on U.S. 1, flipped into a nearby parking lot and hit the man who was standing near a parked, empty Subaru, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Hilliard ran into a big problem in the state basketball championship game on Saturday night.

Hilliard pulled away in the second half and punched its ticket for a spot in the Class 1A boys basketball state championship game.

Jackson, Providence, Impact Christian and Ponte Vedra all punched their tickets to the final four with regional championship wins on Friday night.

The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office is set to hold a Monday afternoon news conference to discuss two incidents that happened in recent days.

Some homeowners in parts of Hilliard spent the day cleaning up their property after it was pummeled by hail Wednesday.

Nonprofit Farm Share, which touts itself as Florida's largest food bank, announced in a press release it will be distributing fresh produce and canned goods to food insecure Floridians in the Jacksonville area Friday and Saturday this week.

The News4JAX Super 6 softball rankings will be published each Thursday through the end of the regular season. Results are through April 19 games.

The News4JAX Super 6 softball rankings will be published each Thursday through the end of the regular season. Results are through April 12 games.

A coach who brought 200 victories to a Hilliard football team is being remembered for his caring spirit on and off the field.

The News4JAX Super 6 softball rankings will be published each Thursday through the end of the regular season. Results are through March 22 games.

The News4JAX Super 6 softball rankings will be published each Thursday through the end of the regular season with the exception of March 16. Results are through March 8 games.

Hilliard is turning to a familiar name to lead its football program.

Tocoi Creek and Hilliard are on the hunt for new head football coaches.

A Waycross man was killed after colliding with a utility pole on Sunday night, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

A deputy shot and killed a woman Wednesday in Nassau County as investigators responded to an early morning call about a domestic disturbance, Sheriff Bill Leeper said during a news conference.

The Hilliard community is grieving the loss of a mother and two young children who died after their home caught fire early Thursday morning.

A mother and her two children died early Thursday morning after their mobile home caught fire, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper told News4JAX.

A 22-year-old man who authorities say identified as an involuntary celibate and plotted to kill women at an unnamed Ohio university has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of attempting a hate crime.

Nassau County Emergency Management will be offering sandbag pickups Monday in preparation for Hurricane Ian’s impact on Northeast Florida.

A Hilliard man was arrested and accused of shooting a man in the head and fleeing the scene in Callahan early Saturday morning, according to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.

A pilot was hurt when a small plane crashed Wednesday morning in the yard of a home in Hilliard, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office said.

A Nassau County teen finished in second place on Sunday in the 2022 USA Mullet Championships.

The high school football season begins on Aug. 19 in Georgia and Aug. 26 in Florida. A glance at schedules for the 2022 high school football season.

Some News4JAX viewers expressed concerns over a raffle for an AR-15 pistol created to raise funds for school football teams. We asked the booster club — the Pride Of Hilliard Football Club — about the fundraiser, and a spokesperson said they’ve done it before without any issues.

Thirty air traffic controllers have been hired for the federal air traffic control center in Hilliard, a source familiar with the Federal Aviation Administration’s plan told News4JAX.

As families around the world make plans for Mother’s Day Sunday, the family of 34-year-old mother of three Joleen Cummings will experience yet another without her.

The News4JAX Super 6 softball rankings will be published each Monday through the end of the regular season. Results are through April 24 games.

The News4JAX Super 6 softball rankings will be published each Monday through the end of the regular season. Results are through April 17 games.

The News4JAX Super 6 softball rankings will be published each Monday through the end of the regular season. Results are through April 10 games.

A 56-year-old man in Hilliard claimed a $1 million prize after playing the Powerball Draw game, according to a news release Monday from the Florida Lottery.

A missing father of five was found dead Thursday in a wooded area, according to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.

Union County got the running game going on the very first drive of the game, and they never let up as the Tigers improved to 12-0 with a 52-14 win over Hilliard to advance to the regional finals in the 1A playoffs.

Our final Football Friday Game of the Week for 2021 pits 11-0 Union County at 9-1 Hilliard with a spot in the regional finals on the line.

The Nassau County deputy who died of his injuries after the sheriff said he was shot during a traffic stop was laid to rest Saturday afternoon.

A wildlife sanctuary in Hilliard has found a special way to honor a fallen deputy, a wounded K-9 and the Nassau County sheriff.

A glance at team-by-team schedules for area teams in Florida and southeast Georgia.

A patient at the DaySpring Senior Living facility near Hilliard is accused of sexually assaulting an employee inside his room, according to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With state Rep. Cord Byrd, R-Neptune Beach, planning to run for the Senate in 2022, a second candidate has emerged to seek his Northeast Florida House seat that currently covers parts of Duval and Nassau counties. Hilliard Republican Bo Wade Hodges opened a campaign account this week to run in what is now House District 11, according to the state Division of Elections website. The filing came a week after Jacksonville Beach Republican Heath Brockwell opened an account for the race. The district boundaries -- and potentially the number -- will change before the 2022 elections because of the once-a-decade reapportionment process.

HILLIARD, Fla. – Railroad crossing arms and warning signals were going off on Andrews Road and U.S. 1 north in northern Nassau County when a 38-year-old woman continued to cross, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Her car was hit by a southbound CSX train around 4:44 p.m. Friday. Her sedan was pushed off the tracks into an electrical box off to the side. The woman died. The CSX train activated its emergency stopping protocolTroopers are looking into the incident and working to identify the Hillard woman.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The federal air traffic control center in Hilliard that controls air space throughout North Florida and South Georgia closed Wednesday -- the second time the center has closed this year. Several flights in and out of Jacksonville International Airport were delayed anywhere from a few minutes to 3 ½ hours. The FAA JAX Center in Hilliard is temporarily closing this afternoon into the evening which may cause extensive delays and/or cancellations. According to George Winterling, retired News4Jax Weather Authority chief meteorologist, the air traffic control center first opened in December 1941 at Imeson Field -- also known as Jacksonville Imeson Airport. In February 1961, the air traffic control center moved to Hilliard.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A day after someone at the Jacksonville Air Traffic Control Center in Hilliard tested positive for COVID-19, News4Jax learned the center closed Monday evening for cleaning. A tweet from Jacksonville International Airport warned passengers that the closure “may cause extensive delays and/or cancellations. So this is a historic event.”A spokesperson for the FAA said the Hilliard facility covers flights from the panhandle to Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa. According to George Winterling, retired News4Jax Weather Authority chief meteorologist, the air traffic control center first opened in December 1941 at Imeson Field -- also known as Jacksonville Imeson Airport. In February 1961, the air traffic control center moved to Hilliard.

A man and a woman were taken to the hospital with serious injuries after they were struck by a speeding pickup truck in Hilliard, according to FHP. HILLIARD, Fla. – According to Florida Highway Patrol, a man and a woman were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries after being struck by a pickup truck in downtown Hilliard Saturday night. Troopers say the 39-year-old driver was speeding eastbound on Pecan Street at around 8:20 p.m., when he struck the couple at the intersection with CR-108. According to FHP, the pedestrians were crossing Pecan Street at the time of the crash and did not realize the pickup was headed their way because the driver was speeding. The man and woman were transported to UF Health with serious injuries.

Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved. If you need help with WJXT’s or WCWJ's FCC public inspection file, call (904) 393-9801.

Back in March, the Red Flashes basketball team reached the state final for the first time since 1965. The Red Flashes are 6-0 and riding a six-game winning streak that ties the longest in school history. This year’s early season success doesn’t come as a surprise to Pate. With two games left in the regular season, Hillard is knocking on the door of its first undefeated regular season in school history. The Red Flashes will host Mayo Lafayette on Nov. 13.

HILLIARD, Fla. – A photo provided to News4Jax gives a look at the wreckage of a plane crash that killed the pilot Monday afternoon north of Hilliard. Booth said the primary piece of evidence that leads him to believe engine trouble caused the crash is the propeller. Booth said that’s a sign that the propeller was not in motion when the plane crashed. Had it been in motion, Booth said, the propeller would have been bent or distorted during the crash. Booth said the photo of the wreckage also gives investigators two more clues:Fuselage intact on the ground, meaning the plane didn’t break apart in flight.

HILLIARD, Fla. – A series of 911 calls paint a picture of what witnesses saw and heard moments before a 74-year-old pilot died in a plane crash Monday north of Hilliard. One of the witnesses told News4Jax she saw the single-engine plane fly over the top of the trees before it crashed around 2:30 p.m. Monday in the woods off Trinity Lane near County Road 121. Moments before the crash, multiple people called 911 to report what they witnessed. One woman gave the 911 operator specific details about the condition of the plane as it descended into the wooded area. The same woman called 911 again moments later to let the operator know that she located the plane wreckage.

HILLIARD, Fla. – A pilot died when a single-engine, homebuilt plane crashed Monday afternoon in a wooded area near the Florida-Georgia border, authorities said. The FAA said the pilot was the only person aboard the plane, which was registered out of Palm Coast. While it’s too early to say wind played a factor in the crash, Booth said it can’t be ruled out. Booth said if the plane caught on fire after the crash, that’s a sign the plane was not out of fuel. NTSB is investigating the September 21, 2020 crash in Hilliard, FL, involving an RV-8 aircraft.

Dowie went headfirst across the goal line on the score and went end over end. On Hilliard’s final offensive possession of the game, Dowie was intercepted and gave chase on the return. He had made it through emergency brain surgery, yet here he was, straining to get oxygen into his lungs. It was crazy [to not be able to talk].”‘He’s our miracle'A year after brain surgery, Dowie isn’t slowed down at all by his head injury. “I think it’s funny.”As for regrets about how his senior year went, Dowie said that he doesn’t think like that.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a long delay to start the season due to a global pandemic, high school football season kicks off on Sept. 4 around Florida and Georgia. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced quite a few adjustments to schedules in 2020 and many teams have yet to finalize their schedules. Teams that don’t have opponents for a certain date or their schedules have not been provided are marked with a TBA. FLORIDAAll games start at 7 p.m. unless indicated. There will be no district champions declared in 2020, so district games are not identified.

HILLIARD, Fla. – A teenage boy was airlifted to a Jacksonville hospital following a two-vehicle crash Saturday night near Hilliard, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Just before 9 p.m., according to FHP, a 35-year-old Hilliard man and a 13-year-old Hilliard boy were in a pickup truck traveling west on Murrhee Road, approaching U.S. 1. The tractor-trailer spun through the road’s median and across the southbound lanes before finally coming to a rest on the west shoulder of U.S. 1. The Highway Patrol said the teenage passenger in the pickup was airlifted to UF Health Jacksonville with critical injuries. Troopers said the driver of the pickup truck suffered minor injuries and the 29-year-old Jacksonville man driving the tractor-trailer was not hurt.

HILLIARD, Fla. – The Florida Highway Patrol said a 25-year-old driver died Friday night after swerving out of her lane on County Road 108 in Nassau County. That 25-year-old was driving eastbound on County Road 108 around 9:10 p.m. Friday when she strayed out of her lane and struck a car with two people headed westbound. The driver of the first car died and the other driver and passenger both sustained serious injuries. According to FHP, no one involved in the crash was wearing a seat belt.

HILLIARD, Fla. The leader of a Hilliard Veterans of Foreign Wars post is hoping to get Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attention, urging him to let the nonprofit reopen its doors to veterans. David Lewis, the commander of VFW Post 10095, posted a video to Facebook on Thursday. He said that he believes since posts in Florida closed due to COVID-19 that its played a role in the mental health of veterans. For the past two months, since ordered to close, Ive personally seen an increase in depression among our veterans," Lewis says in the video.

HILLIARD, Fla. – A Nassau County woman was arrested Wednesday and accused of shooting an arrow through a dog’s head using a crossbow, according to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. Luckily, the dog survived the May 16 incident and was being treated by Nassau County Animal Control. Nassau County Animal Control Director Tim Maguire said the arrow ended up ricocheting off the dog’s skull and only lifting the skin. The Sheriff’s Office said the original owner turned over the right to the dog to Nassau County Animal Control due to the veterinary care that was needed. Nassau County Animal Control said if you are having a hard time taking care of your animals during the pandemic -- call your local shelter or humane society because they can help.

Published: March 3, 2020, 9:45 am Updated: March 3, 2020, 9:51 amNASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – A 63-year-old Hilliard man just won a $1 million top prize from a $30 scratch-off game. The Florida Lottery announced that Robert Thrift claimed the first $1 million top prize from the new THE FASTEST ROAD TO $1,000,000 Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $790,000.00. Thrift purchased his ticket from Smile Line, located at 5633 East Highway 98 in Parker. The $30 game launched in February and features 155 top prizes of $1,000,000 and over $948 million in cash prizes.

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – The state fire marshal has charged a woman with arson after she was accused of torching a Hilliard-area motel room last month. According to an arrest report obtained by News4Jax, Jones was inside Room 5 of the Holiday Terrace Motel on U.S. 1, just outside Hilliard city limits, on Feb. 13 when she used a propane torch to ignite clothing on the floor. An investigator noted in the report that the door to the room was deadbolted from inside the room and window slats on the back window had been removed to allow Jones to exit out that window. The arrest report stated there were motel guests staying in two adjacent rooms, but it’s unclear if they were affected by the fire. The report shows the substance tested positive for methamphetamine, so Jones received an additional charge of narcotics possession.

People in Miami, 440 miles from the epicenter of Tuesday’ Caribbean earthquake, felt the ground shake. Ground shaking caused tall buildings in Miami to shake as longer period earthquake ground waves traveled out away from the Caribbean. These slower waves travel along the perimeter of the Earth from the earthquake to the recording station. Each circle in the visualization represents earthquake recording stations and the color indicates the amplitude, or height, of the earthquake wave detected by the station’s seismometer. Blue represents downward ground motion, red represents upward ground motion, and darker colors indicate larger amplitudes.

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. - A pedestrian was struck and killed by a train Friday afternoon just north of Hilliard, authorities said. It happened about 2:30 p.m. on the railroad tracks at Andrews Road near U.S. 23. Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper told News4Jax a woman stepped out in front of the train. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the woman, identified as 62-year-old Rosalina Wolf, was walking south on the railroad tracks when she was struck by the train, which was traveling southbound. The crash remains under investigation, the Highway Patrol report shows.

The petition claims Skyler Cole Johnson, who is charged with second-degree murder, fired at his mother's boyfriend, Richard Crews, as Crews came toward him. The petition alleges Crews assaulted Johnson's mother during the argument, and that Johnson warned Crews to stop. According to the petition, Crews responded by threatening to kill Johnson and his mother. Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper previously said the fight between Johnson's mother and Crews, 38, was sparked by a dispute over household finances. Deputies said Crews and Johnson's mother are not married but have two children in common.

HILLIARD, Fla. - Friday night football has not been the same since Hilliard Middle Senior High School quarterback Nathan Dowie was injured during the season-opening game against Oak Hall High School. "It feels good because, I mean, we're a small town, so pretty much everybody knows everybody," Isaac Hunter said. "We're just looking forward to the day he comes home and has a full recovery," Dallis Hunter said. When Dowie makes that full recovery, Hunter and the entire community want to make sure the student's medical bills are paid. "I hope it just excites him," Dallis Hunter said.

HILLIARD, Fla. - Friday night football has not been the same since Hilliard Middle Senior High School quarterback Nathan Dowie was injured during the season-opening game against Oak Hall High School.... Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

HILLIARD, Fla. - A 24-year-old Hilliard man has been charged with shooting and killing his mother's boyfriend after the couple got into an argument Monday, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said. Skyler Cole Johnson was booked into the Nassau County Jail on a charge of second-degree murder. Leeper said the fight Monday afternoon between Johnson's mother and her boyfriend, Richard Crews, 38, was sparked by a dispute over household finances. Deputies said Crews and Johnson's mother are not married but have two children in common. Leeper said that's when Johnson shot Crews several times with a 9 mm handgun.

HILLIARD, Fla. - A 24-year-old Hilliard man has been charged with shooting and killing his mother's boyfriend after the couple got into an argument Monday, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said. Skyler Cole Johnson was booked into the Nassau County Jail on a charge of second-degree murder. Leeper said the fight Monday afternoon between Johnson's mother and her boyfriend, Richard Crews, 38, was sparked by a dispute over household finances. Deputies said Crews and Johnson's mother are not married but have two children in common. Leeper said that's when Johnson shot Crews several times with a 9mm handgun.

HILLIARD, Fla. - Hilliard Middle-Senior High School quarterback Nathan Dowie has made significant progress since he was hospitalized following Fridays game with bleeding on the brain. Dowie, 18, was injured when he was hit while scoring a touchdown in the third quarter of Hilliards 21-18 loss to Oak Hall. "I winced whenever I saw (the hit)," Dowies father, Sean, told News4Jax. In text messages, Crews told News4Jax on Monday that the team followed the head injury protocol outlined by the Florida High School Athletic Association when it came to the hit Dowie suffered. While Dowie remains in the hospital, a banner carrying his name, picture and number hangs outside Hilliard Middle-Senior High School.

HILLIARD, Fla. - Hilliard Middle-Senior High School quarterback remained sedated in the hospital Sunday after a head injury he suffered during a Friday night game. Related Story: Hilliard High player rushed to hospital after gameThe 18-year-old quarterback got hit while scoring a touchdown. "In a text message, Hilliard assistant coach Byron Crews said, Nathan Dowie was definitely checked out. Initially, it may come off as a rather insignificant head injury, it may even be confused with a concussion. We have a statute that says it is everybody's responsibility to recognize when a concerning head injury has occurred and advocate for that student-athlete.

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. - A Hilliard man was killed and a Yulee man was seriously injured in a head-on crash early Wednesday evening in Nassau County, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The crash happened just before 5 p.m. Wednesday on County Road 108 near Pineridge Road, just east of Hilliard city limits. Troopers said a red Chevrolet Camaro was traveling west on C.R. That's when troopers said the Camaro traveled across the centerline and collided head-on with a white Lincoln Town Car was traveling east. The driver of the Camaro, a 67-year-old Yulee man, was taken to UF Health hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, troopers said.

Joel Lovitt, 45, accused of threatening to kill a woman during an argumentHILLIARD, Fla. - A Hilliard man has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and violating an injunction for a protection order. Joel Lovitt, 45, was arrested just after midnight Sunday outside a home on Pine Tree Drive. Deputies said they saw Lovitt loading things into a car outside the home and he became aggressive toward them. Deputies found a hunting knife on the kitchen floor after interviewing the victim and neighbors who said they saw Lovitt chase the victim, knock her down and kick her. During the investigation, deputies discovered that Lovitt had an active injunction for protection between the two and a no-contact order had been issued.

HILLIARD, Fla. - A 29-year-old woman was killed Thursday morning when her car collided with a tractor-trailer on U.S. 1 in Nassau County, the Florida Highway Patrol said. According to the FHP report, the woman, whose name has not been released yet, pulled out of a private driveway onto U.S. 1 into the path of the semi and was hit. The driver of the semi was not injured, troopers said. The woman died at the scene. She was wearing a seat belt.

HILLIARD, Fla. – You can now legally buy hard liquor in Hilliard. Up until January, the town had imposed a ban on the sale of liquors, such as whiskey and vodka. But that changed once the town council voted unanimously last month to lift the ban. The American Legion Post 401 became the first establishment to begin selling liquor to its members. Before the new law was introduced, the town allowed businesses to sell beer and wine, except for anytime before 2 p.m. on Sundays.

HILLIARD, Fla. – An 18-year-old was shot and killed while holding a loaded handgun Thursday night in the bedroom of his Hilliard home, according to Nassau County Sheriff' Bill Leeper. Travis Thompson said his nephew knew how to handle a firearm, and it doesn't make sense that Rhoden would accidentally take his own life. Thompson believes his nephew knew better than to twirl a loaded gun. According to family members, Rhoden was not alone in the room when the shooting happened. Family members created a fundraising account to help with funeral costs.