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Graduates mourn classmate's death
By JOSH ZIMMER, Times Staff Writer TAMPA -- Less than a week ago, the death of Sickles High school senior Christopher Fannan turned the graduating class' world upside down. Once consumed by typical teenage concerns about relationships, summer jobs and college futures, students suddenly confronted very adult thoughts of mortality. The loss remained high on people's minds Friday as parents, friends and seniors gathered for graduation ceremonies at the USF Sun Dome. "It hurt everyone," William Sanders said before heading inside to receive his diploma. But Sanders and every other senior had to wait. In an appearance that underscored the emotional toll of Fannan's death, his mother Cynthia Fannan accepted his diploma from principal Nuri Ayres to thunderous applause. They hugged before she was led away. Afterward, students said her appearance helped ease the pain. It may have been a first for Hillsborough County, where graduation ceremonies routinely mark a senior's passing by reading the name with an accompanying pause, Hillsborough County School District spokesman Mark Hart said. "I just thought it was an excellent idea," said Daniel Straughn, 18, one of 605 students in the graduating class. Many students wore yellow ribbons over their hearts in memory of Fannan, who died after being punched in the head while hanging out with friends outside a Steak n Shake in Citrus Park in the early morning hours. He never regained consciousness and died at St. Joseph's Hospital on Monday. Authorities are still searching for four people witnesses said were involved in the attack. All four men are black and fled in an early-1990s model Honda. The man who punched Fannan was described as 19 or 20 years old, about 6 feet 2, 180 pounds, with a thin build, a 2- to 3-inch Afro hair style and several gold-capped front teeth. He was dressed in jeans and a white shirt. A second man was between 20 and 24 years old, about 6 feet, 210 pounds, stocky and with very short hair. A third was in his late teens, about 6 feet 4, 220 pounds, and muscular with a short Afro. A fourth man was 19 or 20 years old, 6 feet 2, 180 pounds, thin, with a short Afro. Authorities say the attack was unprovoked. On April 13, Fannan was pistol-whipped behind the Lifestyles Family Fitness Center at Mapledale Boulevard and N Dale Mabry Highway after getting into a fight that lasted several minutes. The incidents are unrelated, authorities say. Fannan's family announced they were offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the attackers in the Steak n Shake incident. Outside the Sun Dome Friday, students continued to describe Fannan as a friendly, popular teenager who was not prone to violence. Before Fannan's mother walked up to get the diploma, Ayres spoke to the class about successes and aspirations. She drew a connection between an earlier tragedy, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and Fannan's abrupt passing. The 9/11 attacks sparked construction of a peace garden at Sickles, Ayres noted. Fannan, she added, had mapped out his future. He planned on entering the military with hopes of becoming an Army Ranger. "How pathetic that this peace garden will also stand in memory of Chris Fannan, who because of a reckless act of violence will be here in spirit but not in body," she said. "His life was cut short but we will not forget." Funeral services will be held today at 11 a.m. at Forest Hills Presbyterian Church at 709 West Linebaugh Ave. The family will receive visitors from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The burial is private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund for Christopher Fannan Memorial, P.O. Box 14407, St. Petersburg, 33733-4407. -- Josh Zimmer can be reached at 269-5314.
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