10 years after his death, those mourning Zaevion Dobson are fighting to keep his memory alive

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - It’s been ten years since Zenobia Dobson got the call.

“When my phone started ringing, I knew that it was something,” she said.

Dec. 17, 2015 is a night she’ll never forget.

“He was waiting in the door for me one last time,” Zenobia Dobson recalls. “He opened the door and asked, ‘Could he leave?’ And I told him yes.”

That was the final time she saw her son.

That night, three men opened fire in the Lonsdale neighborhood of Knoxville in a drive-by shooting. Zaevion Dobson died shielding his friends from the gunfire.

“For him to be called to do something that powerful, it was an act of God,” Zenobia Dobson said.

Zaevion Dobson’s heroic act drew international praise. For his bravery, he was honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the 2016 ESPY Awards.