It was the 2 a.m. phone call every parent dreads and, after ignoring her cell phone initially, Lena Ellis regrettably answered moments later when it rang again.

It is “The Talk” a high school football coach would prefer never to give. But Warwick High head coach Thomas Sykes says it is unfortunately a topic he and his colleagues must address too often nowadays.

Zaier Ellis, a 17-year-old senior, Lena Ellis’ son and a former Warwick offensive and defensive lineman, was killed by a gunshot on Thursday, Thanksgiving morning, in a Hampton hotel room. The shooting is under investigation by Hampton police and details have not yet been released.

Sykes describes Ellis as “a great kid.” Lena Ellis says her son was “loving and respectful,” the “very last person” she would’ve expected to be in tha

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