Two years after his death and a few days after his murder trial, friends and family gathered at Martin Chapel United Methodist to honor Zaevion Dobson.
“That should be his legacy, doing more for others than you’re willing to ask them to do for you," Mark Baron, a church member, said.
Members of the church described Sunday as a day full of mixed emotions.
"He shouldn't have had to do that. He chose to do that and to be a hero," Isaiah Brown said. Brown plays the drums for the church and learned to play from Zaevion's brother.
"Honestly, I feel inspired by Zaevion," Brown said.
Sunday was a day for the congregation and Knoxville community to remember the lifelong lesson Dobson has taught the community.
Performances by the church's children's choir and dance ministry honored Dobson. His mother Zenobia sat and watched from the exact seat where her son used to sit every Sunday.
“It’s been a rough two weeks," Zenobia said, referring to her son's murder trial. Three men were convicted this week, two years after the shooting.
“He made a decision to stand up, and I’m just so proud of him. I salute him," she said. “Makes my heart feel good.”
The service ran from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Members of the community were welcomed to attend. Normally, the church ends each service in a prayer circle. But on this Sunday, so many people came to pay respects that there was not enough space to sit all of those who came.