Ricky Waters

Ricky Bernard Waters was an 18‑year‑old Knoxville young man with plans and promise. In the spring of 2022 he was days away from finishing high school at Fulton High and preparing to take the next step toward a trade he hoped would sustain him — enrolling at Tennessee Technological University to study welding. Family members described Ricky as hardworking, outgoing, and someone who usually had a smile on his face.

Ricky spent his first three years of high school at Austin‑East where he played basketball, then transferred to Fulton High for his senior year. His mother, Jazzity Waters, and his grandmother, Rhonda Walton, spoke about his love for family, his independence, and small pleasures he enjoyed — including recent family travel. The family had returned from a trip to Orlando and had been planning a graduation trip to Jamaica to celebrate his upcoming milestone.

Those who knew him remember a young man looking ahead: finishing school, learning a skilled trade, and enjoying time with relatives and friends. While public reporting about Ricky necessarily records the tragedy of his death, the memories shared by family and classmates emphasize his everyday warmth, work ethic, and the relationships that mattered to him.

Ricky’s loss left a hole in the lives of those who loved him. His family has spoken publicly about their grief and their wish for answers, and community resources have asked for help from anyone with information. Above all, what remains in the public record are the human details that made Ricky an individual — a son and grandson with goals, recent memories of family trips, and a bright future he and his loved ones were preparing to meet.