FHS student fondly remembered at memorial

The funeral entourage leaves First Baptist Church of Ocala the morning of Nov. 8 following services for Shannon Rushing, an 18-year-old Forest High School student who died after being struck by a car while walking on Old Blitchton Road on Oct. 27. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]

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Posted November 10, 2025 | By Andy Fillmore, [email protected]

Family members and friends gathered Nov. 8 at First Baptist Church of Ocala for services to honor 18-year-old Shannon Rushing, who died Oct. 27 after she was struck while walking on a northwest Ocala roadway.

Rev. Eric Cummings, pastor of New Zion Baptist Church and vice-chair of the Marion County School Board, gave an invocation and delivered words of comfort. Cummings suggested that family and friends “worship while we weep” and spoke of Shannon’s “impact on all our lives.”

Shannon’s brothers, Christopher Rushing and Johnathan Akins, read lines of Old Testament and New Testament scripture. They also shared reflections of their sister, including that she was “full of joy,” would often ask to “take a picture” and aspired to be a math teacher.

Shannon attended Howard Middle School and was a senior at Forest High School. About half of the several hundred guests at the ceremony stood up to acknowledge they were part of her “school family.”

Danielle Brewer, Marion County Public Schools interim superintendent, offered condolences to the family.

“Shannon will always be part of the FHS family,” Brewer said

Dion Gary, principal of Forest High, shared memories of a conversation he had at school with Shannon.

“Shannon was a joy to be around,” he said.

Lamar Rembert, MCPS area superintendent and former FHS principal, said Shannon was “sweet and caring” and a life-giving blood donor. Rembert described her as “bright,” having a “smile and a kind word” for people and being “gentle and compassionate.”

Rembert shared a story about a blood drive at the school that required a parent to sign a permission slip for the student to participate. Shannon, 18 at the time, signed her own slip but was told a parent or guardian needed to sign. She obtained the required signature.

“Shannon was so excited to save a life,” Rembert said.

The ceremony program stated Shannon was preceded in death by relatives including her mother, Saphronia Rushing, and is survived by relatives including her birth mother, Kayla Rushing; brothers Christopher Rushing, Jermaine Rushing and Johnathan Atkinson; and sisters Kaymeisha Rushing and Patrice Felder; and sister and guardian Shanta Norton.

Meanwhile, a petition launched by Norton on change.org (an online petition platform) calling for legislation known as “Shannon’s Law,” which would mandate proper lighting, sidewalks and signage where needed to increased pedestrian safety, had garnered 2,985 verified signatures.

The city of Ocala, in partnership with Marion County, the Ocala /Marion County Transportation Organization and the state of Florida, is wrapping up a Safer Roads study, made possible by a U.S. Department of Transportation “Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program.”

A road safety plan and speed management/traffic calming plan are the two major focuses of the study, which will be based upon roadway data from 2020 through 2024. Later information will be added as an appendix and a draft of the study results will be presented to the Ocala City Council for decisions and action in 2026.

Norton messaged the evening of Nov. 8 that she was grateful for the community’s support.

“We are truly grateful for the outpouring of love and support from everyone during our time of need,” she wrote. “To know that Shannon had an impact on a lot of people gave our hearts so much joy. We will still continue to fight for Shannon’s Law. We just want to ensure the safety of everyone else.”