Tributes poured in on Sunday from D.C.’s boxing community for a boxing mentor who was killed in a shooting in Southeast D.C. on Saturday.
Arthur “Buddy” Harrison, Jr., 62, was found at around 11:40 a.m. on 30th Street SE, near Erie Street SE and the Hillcrest Recreation Center. He was pronounced dead at a hospital, D.C. police said.
Police are searching for three suspects and a white Kia Optima sedan last seen with an Ohio license plate JAU 3816 in connection to Harrison's shooting.
A source close to the family told News4 Harrison was known for mentoring young children and running a boxing gym in the District. He was also the father of professional boxer Dusty Hernandez-Harrison.
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When he was younger, Harrison went to prison for a decade because of an armed robbery, and it was boxing that helped him get his life back on track. His gym became a safe haven for at-risk teens.
Don Hollingsworth, Jr. trained under Harrison before his killing. He described him as a man dedicated to the youth he inspired.
“Since a little kid till now, he’s always been a phone call away," Hollingsworth said. "He would hound his fighters. Even if you wasn’t fighting in the next tournament, he would stay on you. Like, ‘Hey I haven’t seen you at the gym, everything alright?' Or he would pop at your house, ‘You OK? What’s going on?’”
Old School Boxing in Maryland, where Harrison also coached, shared his passing with their community in an Instagram post.
“I think if Buddy were here, he would say to make sure you’re at your gym Monday, pray for those lost ones out there who don’t know the Lord, and to love everyone," Old School Boxing wrote.
Beltway Battles, which hosts boxing shows in the D.C. area, shared a tribute to Harrison in a statement on Sunday.
“Earlier today we learned of the tragic death of Buddy Harrison, father of Dusty Hernandez-Harrison, a well-known and respected member of the DC boxing family and a generous individual who constantly was helping others in his community," Beltway Battles wrote.
Harrison's last posts on Facebook and Instagram have received hundreds of comments from people mourning his loss. In an Instagram posted on Friday, he shared a photo of him with his son at a boxing gym.
"I laced his gloves at two years old... I am still lacing his gloves at 28 years old. I thank Jesus for the opportunity to do so," Harrison wrote.
Anyone with information is asked to contact D.C. police at 202-727-9099 or send an anonymous text to 50411.
