TO PROTECT RODRICK JOHNSON FROM TROUBLE. QUINN SHE WE WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE BULLET THAT TOOK JOHNSON'S LIFE. SO IT WAS JUST A SHOCK I FEEL LIKE I FAILED HIM. JOSHUA QUINN SPENT TWO YEARS MENTORING RODRICK JOHNSON. QUINN SAID HE DID EVERYTHING HE COULD TO PROTECT THE POWELL MIDDLE SCHOOL 7TH GRADER. BUT IT WASN'T ENOUGH. JACKSON POLICE SAID THE 14 YEAR OLD WA SHOT AND KILLED EASTER SUNDAY. AND UNFORTUNATELY IN THAT SITUATION I COULDN'T BE THERE IF I WAS THERE I WOULD DEFINITELY TAKE THAT BULLET FOR HIM BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN HIM SO MUCH HE WASN'T THAT KID JUST GOING AROUND LOOKING FOR TROUBLE. DETECTIVES ARE INVESTIGATING IF JOHNSON WAS KILLED OVER A BICYCLE. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES A GROUP OF KIDS WERE IN STACY LIDELL'S YARD SUNDAY PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SAY JOHNSON WAS YELLING AT THE GROUP TO LEAVE THE YARD AND NOT STEAL ANY OF LIDELL'S BIKES -- OR BIKE PART I TELL MY STUDENTS ALL THE TIME I'M GONNA RIDE OR DIE FOR YOU QUINN SAID HE MENTORED JOHNSON AND TWO DOZEN OTHER JACKSON BOYS THROUGH A PROGRAM CALLED BAR BARS IS BROTHER AGAINST RACIAL STEREOTYPING SO WE'RE AN EDUCATION INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR BOYS OF COLOR IN THE CITY AND WE'RE ALSO EXPLORATORY LEARNING PROGRAM. QUINN TOOK THE KIDS ON TRIPS TO WASHINGTON DC. HE WAS ALSO JOHNSON'S HISTORY TEACHE QUINN CALLED JOHNSON BRILLIANT. SOMETHING ABOUT HIM IT'S JUST SO DIFFERENT FROM BEING ANY OTHER MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS WAS VERY VERY BRIGHT VERY INTELLIGENT AND INQUISITIVE. LIDELL IS CHARGED WITH MURDER. HE'S BEING HELD WITHOUT BOND. POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING WHY LIDELL'S HOUSE CAUGHT FIRE HOURS AFTER HE WAS ARRESTED. ROSS ADAMS 16 WAPT NEWS. JACKSON POLICE NEED YOUR HELP TONI