Knoxville officials and community leaders welcomed word Thursday that two men had been charged in the gang-related killing of a 15-year-old Fulton High School student in December.
"I'm very pleased at the progress we've seen from KPD at this point, but now it is in the hands of our DA Charme Allen, and so she will be proceeding with the case," Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero said.
Zaevion Dobson, 15, was shot and killed Dec. 17, 2015, while protecting two girls in the Lonsdale area.
Christopher Bassett and Richard Gregory Williams III each face charges of first-degree murder, the Knox County District Attorney General's Office announced Thursday.
In addition, a Knox County grand jury indicted each with eight counts of attempted first degree murder and a string of firearm possession charges.
Authorities allege Zaevion's older brother, Zack, was among a group who also were shot at but uninjured by the men.
Williams was being held in lieu of $1 million bond in the Knox County Jail.
Bassett is serving time for an unrelated, felony weapons sentence at a prison in Trousdale County, Tenn.
"In the coming days, both of these individuals will be brought back here to Knox County," Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen said. "They will be arraigned in Criminal Court. We do not have the arraignment date as of right now. That will be coming in the future."
Allen said she had notified Zaevion's mother Zenobia Dobson about the charges.
Rick Staples, a community activist in the 100 Black Men group and Democratic legislative candidate, said he was relieved for Zenobia Dobson.
"She's been dealing with a lot, obviously, but at the end of the day, she still lost her baby, and I'm glad to see she's getting justice," he said.
Staples said gunmen in the Dec. 17 attack "shot out into a crowd, and everybody's life was at risk."
"I'm glad to see that the district attorney is really working to charge them for every attempt at life," he said. "Zack is one that we still have to protect going forward. His future is pretty bright. He's been through a lot, too."
Staples said there's still work to do to stop violence in Knoxville.
"There are certain factors - key factors - that are tying into that, that we need to correct and address. It's not over. This is a step. I've said in the past, this is a marathon and not a sprint," he said.