According to a recent article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Christian Boone reported that, holed up in a bathroom with his family in a hostage situation, Rajaan Bennett called 9-1-1.

Once the cops arrived, Clifton Steger, ordered his ex-girlfriend and Bennett's mother, Narjaketha Bennett, to tell the police that everything was fine. She did not do that, telling the police everything that was going on inside the house.

Shortly after, Steger went into the bathroom and began firing at the people inside. Miraculously, Rajaan's little sister was not hit (neither was his younger autistic brother who was allowed to stay out of the bathroom). Rajaan was hit once in the chest and his uncle, Taiwan Hunter, was hit in the abdomen. Hunter still managed to get Rajaan's sister, Narcharlette, out of the room before the gunman shot himself in the head.

According to the AJC article, Hunter is in good condition.

The new details were given by the Powder Springs Police Department on Tuesday, February 23.

A vigil was recently held for Bennett; here are some pictures, courtesy of the AJC.

Here is how the whole event unfolded before this new information came to light.

Published on February 18 with a few short updates made since then:

Early Thursday morning, Rajaan Bennett, a brother and son, was killed in what seems to be a murder-suicide, according to the Cobb County authorities. The 18-year-old senior at McEachern High School was one of Georgia's most highly-touted running backs in his class. He recently signed a letter of intent to play for and receive an education from Vanderbilt University. He was considered one of the best Commodore signees ever, but by all accounts, considered an even better person off the field.

Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson heard about the news early this morning and told reporters, "In the little bit of time we knew Rajaan, he just seemed to be the ideal young man for Vanderbilt, and for college football really, to tell you the truth (pause). He was really a family person. If you could see him interacting with his mother and brothers and sisters, you knew he was trying to protect them in the end. So, we're gonna miss him… This is a big, big blow. Not just because we're losing a football player, but because we're losing an outstanding young man and I mean that." Johnson's entire seven-minute-plus interview can be seen in its entirety here.

Bennett's father was murdered when he was in sixth grade. He had to step up and take over as man of the house, 17-year-old Ola Ibiyemi told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in this article. "I guess with his dad dying, he knew he had to take care of things… He would bring [his brother and sister] with him to chill, play games, go swim, play pool, play basketball," Ibiyemi said. "He would say 'I'm bringing my brother or sister' and we all understood and it was cool, that's just the way it is." The senior running back's high school coach and athletics director described him as "one of the best" and "an angel." More comments from the athletics director can be found here.

Roswell wide receiver Chris Boyd, who got to know Bennett through the recruiting process (both were Vandy signees), told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "I've been texting back and forth with other Vanderbilt recruits all morning. None of us really know how to react. We're all in a state of shock and can't believe that Rajaan is gone. It's so sad." That full story is here.

Pope offensive lineman Grant Ramsay was also a Vandy signee and had built a relationship with Bennett. He told the AJC, "I was crushed … I broke down. I had played with (Bennett) in an all-star game, and spent some time with him after that. On signing day, we pretty much hung out together the whole day. This is a hard blow to take. It's really sad about Rajaan." That interview is here.

Fitzgerald wide receiver, and Vanderbilt signee, heard the news from one of Vanderbilt's assistant coaches. "When we all signed the paperwork with Vanderbilt, we became brothers," Pruitt told the AJC. "When you lose one of your brothers, it's a sad night."

Bennett also had the respect of the people he faced on the football field, like former Marietta coach Friday Richards, who told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Rajaan was a great kid, and I knew him personally… Lord it's a tragedy," in this article.

Bennett was allegedly killed by a "family friend," according to reports from the AJC. 39-year-old Clifton Steger was an ex-boyfriend of Bennett's mother, Narjaketha, who recently broke up with him.

McEachern High School quickly created a funeral fund to help out with Bennett's family. McEachern football coach Kyle Hockman told the AJC to "send checks made out to the McEachern Endowment Fund with "Rajaan Bennett Memorial" written in the bottom left corner. McEachern High School's address is 2400 New Macland Road, Powder Springs, GA 30127. For more information, please call 770-222-3710."

Legacy.com and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution set up an Online Guest Book in order for anyone who wants to send their condolences. If you wish to sign it, click this link.

Several Facebook pages and groups were created in Bennett's honor, including this one, which had reached almost 2,000 members literally hours after being created. The group describes Bennett as being "McEachern's American hero."

Bennett was a four-star running back prospect. He committed to Vanderbilt days before signing with the Commodores about two weeks ago. He was ranked by Rivals.com as the 19th running back in the country and the 19th top prospect in Georgia. Bennett had a 3.5 GPA and grabbed several accolades for his on-field achievements, which included a 1,857 yards and 28 touchdown senior season. Rivals.com recruiting analyst Barry Every described him as being a player that would immediately have an impact on a college team and a "smart, high-character kid that will end up being a leader on the football field and in the locker room at the next level."

There is no question that Bennett will be missed.

ESPN.com also covered the story here.

To see pictures of Bennett, click here.