COLUMBUS (WCMH) — One of Tyre King’s teachers is speaking out today, grieving for the loss of her student.

“He was a boy, just like any other boy,” says Spanish teacher Marilyn Chalfant tears streaming from her eyes. “We all make bad choices at one point in our lives. The problem is Tyre will never be able to learn from it.”

Chalfant teaches at the Linden-McKinley STEM Academy. She’s been his teacher for over a year now.

“I have Tyre in my first period class and then he just did a project where that he got an A on,” she says.

Chalfant says she was immediately devastated when she heard the news.

“I had to go home that day because I was emotionally compromised,” she says. “I couldn’t fathom this tragedy happening to one of my students.”

Today, she also stayed home from school trying to cope with her grief.

“I’m never going to be able to hug him or congratulate him when he graduates from high school,” she says. “I’m not going to be able to see him grow up like my other students.”

She extends her condolences and prayers to his family.

“I hope this tragedy is not going to divide our community but rather bring it together,” says Chalfant. “We need to take a stance against these weapons being in the hands of children.”