‘This one’s for you, Keanu’: Family of Las Vegas student killed in shooting receives diploma
When Keanu Enright finished his homework, the 17-year-old asked his father and grandmother if he could play video games with his cousin and some of his cousin’s friends. He promised to be home in time for his favorite dinner, meatloaf.
But he wouldn’t make it back.
That night, Keanu’s dad, Thomas Enright, was playing in his billiards league when he heard his partner, Nina Norris, start screaming in the middle of the pool hall.
The teen had been shot and killed, Norris told Thomas Enright.
More than seven months after the Oct. 16 tragedy, Enright sat in the audience at Bonanza High School’s 2025 graduation, clutching a silver necklace that contained his son’s ashes. He held back tears as he and his oldest son, TJ, prepared to accept an honorary diploma for Keanu, who was set to graduate this year.
Bonanza’s principal, Brian Wiseman, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Keanu was a great kid who worked hard. Wiseman added that Keanu should have been at the Thursday ceremony with his peers.
“I’ve gotten to know Dad over the last few months, and it’s just a wonderful family,” Wiseman said. “Whatever we can do to honor them, to help them in their grieving process, we will do it. This day will probably bring up many emotions for them.”
When the announcer called Keanu’s name, Thomas Enright and TJ walked across the stage, crying and exchanging hugs with Wiseman.
Graduate Ulysses Santana, Keanu’s friend and neighbor since kindergarten, also walked with them. He wore a yellow robe adorned with multi-colored stoles and cords. His cap featured a photo collage of his friend under the words “This one’s for you, Keanu.”
Santana said he was honored to finish the 13-year journey with his best friend, even if it did not happen as they had always planned.
Protesting the system
The Metropolitan Police Department said that officers responded to a shooting in the 7100 block of Bramble Court near South Buffalo Drive and West Charleston Boulevard on Oct. 16. When they arrived on the scene, officers found a boy, later identified as Keanu Enright, suffering from gunshot wounds, police said.
Through the course of the investigation, police said, homicide detectives determined that a group of friends were “handling a gun” inside a home when a 15-year-old boy fired it.
Officers arrested the 15-year-old at the scene.
By mid-November, the case had been mostly resolved, according to Keanu Enright’s relatives.
Court documents detailing what charges and sentencing the perpetrator faced were confidential. Brigid Duffy, director of the Juvenile Division at the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, declined to discuss specifics of the case.
“The juvenile system, in theory, is designed to rehabilitate kids,” Duffy said. “Unfortunately, we have seen a huge rise in kids committing offenses with guns. It’s scary that we’re getting more and more cases like this.”
Duffy added that though she had not personally worked on Keanu’s case, she called what his family was going through a “nightmare.”
Pool Tournament
Friends and family also described Keanu as supportive, and affectionate, “like a golden retriever.” They also said he was “sometimes nerdy” and had interests like watching anime.
The boy always had something playing on the television and was the only one who could convince Irelyn, his sister, who struggles socially due to autism, to come out of her room and hang out, Thomas Enright said.
Enright’s home has been quiet since Keanu died, he said. They did not celebrate his 18th birthday, which would’ve been about a week after he was shot, and the family did not put up a Christmas tree for the holidays.
The father said he hoped to organize a pool tournament, in which some proceeds would be put aside to be donated to a gun safety organization, around the first anniversary of Keanu’s death. They said the 17-year-old was exceptionally skilled at billiards for his age.
Andrea Robbinson, who has known Keanu since childhood, said the 17-year-old could not wait to turn 21 to play with his dad at Good Timez Billiards at 5740 W. Charleston Blvd.
“He was always talking about the future,” said Robbinson, co-owner of Locally Operated Cash Amateur League, which hosts tournaments at Good Timez Billiards.
Derek Reppenhagen, who also co-owns the league, outlined some plans for the memorial tournament, which he and Robbinson hoped would become an annual event.
“We will have a plaque with Keanu’s name and pictures. We also hope to do raffles and collect donations,” said Reppenhagen. “The goal is to make sure that something like this never happens again.”
Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.
