Hundreds Attend Vigil for Greg Najee Grimes

BY BRANDY TUZON BOYD
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz
Updated July 11, 2022

More than 500 people filled the Inderkum High School football stadium bleachers Tuesday evening to remember former student and assistant coach Greg Najee Grimes.

Grimes, 31, was killed in a shooting just before 2 a.m. on July 4 outside of a nightclub in downtown Sacramento.

The three-hour candlelight vigil was at times both somber and joyful as family, friends, former classmates, coaches and teammates remembered the man born a preemie and who was later larger than life.

According to family, “Najee” — weighed only 3 pounds and 2 ounces at birth but grew up to play high school and college football wearing jersey No. 91.

“He was phenomenal, an exaggerated role model, a stand up young man,” Inderkum football coach Reggie Harris told those gathered in the stands. “The key to him was love and kindness.”

Playing for the Tigers, Grimes was named Inderkum High lineman of the year and Golden Empire League – All Conference in 2005. The following year he was again Inderkum High’s lineman of the year and named to the Sacramento Bee’s All-Metro Football 2nd team.

Grimes was a role model, former coach Terry Stark told the crowd.

“He was good and strong, the way he handled himself,” Stark said. “He started the way the Inderkum students act and behave in the athletic program on this campus because the younger guys watched him, they saw how Greg acted on the field and in the classroom.”

In 2007, Grimes was Inderkum’s MVP, picked for the Sacramento Bee’s All-Metro Football 1st team, all-state 2nd team and named the Tri-County Conference’s most valuable player.

Grimes graduated from Inderkum in 2008 and signed to play football as a defensive lineman at Boise State University. He graduated from Boise State in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication.

Grimes had Just paid off his student loans and was only one day from closing escrow on his first home when he died.

“We have to tell you just how much Najee loved life,” his mother Deborah Grimes said. “He was so happy.”

Four other men were injured at the time Grimes was killed. According to police, detectives have retrieved video surveillance, collected 11 shell casings and identified multiple witnesses during their investigation however have not released any suspect information.

A memorial fundraiser has been created by Grimes’s family on GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/7b050df7. At press time, no arrests had been made in connection with the shooting.