‘He was a protector’: Memorial held for Arlington teen killed in hit-and-run
About 100 people gathered Friday night on Highbank Drive across from Bowie High School in Arlington with balloons and candles to remember 17-year-old Knoah Harlan.
Harlan, who is from Arlington, died Monday after getting hit by a car as he ran to escape it. Police have identified a suspect, and murder and aggravated assault warrants were issued, a police spokesman said Thursday. Police were working to arrest the suspect.
At the memorial, there were testimonies, prayer, crying and smiles. Some wore black shirts with Harlan’s name printed on the front and the number 17 on the back, signifying how old he was.
His mother, Kandance Harlan, who is a single mother, said her son was the oldest boy of five kids and served as her backbone. If there was ever a problem, his first instinct was to fix it, she said.
“He was a protector,” she said.
He also cared for his mother and made sure his siblings did as well. He made sure his siblings respected their mother and told them to be aware of how much she does for them, Kandance Harlan said.
“He taught the kids how to appreciate,” she said.
Knoah Harlan was mature for his age, Kandance Harlan said. He worked two jobs and never let his mother pay for things he wanted. Her son would’ve been a senior in the fall at Sam Houston High School and already had a future planned out for himself.
He wanted to join the Air Force and be an anesthesiologist, his mother said.
Kandance Harlan will miss her son, his smile and his forward-looking attitude. She’ll especially miss the way her son gave life to her household.
Keyonte Thomas, a close friend of Knoah Harlan, said one thing he learned from his friend is to always be himself. They spent almost every day together and learned from each other, Thomas said. He described their relationship as twins that don’t look alike.
“To wake up the next morning and know that that person you almost spent every day with you’ll spend with them no more — it hurts,” Thomas said.
Also in attendance Friday was Knoah Harlan’s uncle Demetrius Watts, who said he will miss having his nephew call him up wherever he accomplished something. Watts will also miss the conversations they had, especially because his nephew was smart and pushed debates to the limit.
“[My nephew] was very helpful, very confident, very smart,” Watts said.
To conclude the memorial, everyone let their balloons go into the sky and said “I love you, Knoah.”
This story was originally published July 31, 2020 at 11:05 PM.
