USA: Kobe Bryant fans hold vigil outside his former high school

M/S Flowers and jerseys, Ardmore
M/S Basketball balls
C/U Balls
M/S Mourners
M/S Flowers
M/S Mourners
W/S Mourners in front of gym
C/U Bryant Gym
C/U Flowers
SOT, Valerie Hardin, Mourner: "Well one of my part time jobs, I work with a lot of the NBA we do the security searches before they get on their flights, so I'm around the NBA basketball teams all the time and it's just really hit home, it really hit home for me and I was just talking to someone about going to the game on my birthday in LA to see the Lakers and it just hit home, he's like family to all of us."
M/S Mourners *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Valerie Hardin, Mourner: "He is an icon and he's a 'GOAT', which means greatest of all time, and that's how people look up to him. He was like a hero, look at the people around here, he's a hero."
M/S Mourners *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Aminah Alwyn, Mourner: "Well I play basketball personally and I've watched him, like, films about him, and I'd like to play like does, I wore shoes a lot for a while, you know, I know people that go here and I have met him a bunch of times and he's a really big inspiration to me."
C/U Jersey reading 'Bryant' *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Aminah Alwyn, Mourner: "Kobe was a great player, and overall he was a great person, after he retired he just took the time to take care of his daughters, like him being a father, just like a big role model for anybody."
M/S Mourners
M/S Flowers
SOT, Alyah Alwyn, Mourner: I know like he was an inspiration for millions of people around the world, I myself, I also play basketball but I didn't grow up watching him as my sister did, but he was like just like a really good person from what I've heard watching the news reports and he deserves to be honoured. He's a legend."
M/S Mourners *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Mark Altshuler, Mourner: "I've been following Kobe and his career for over 20 years, growing up in Philadelphia and now my kids go here, and I just wanted my kids to have a moment tonight to honour him before they come to school tomorrow when I know it's gonna be a little more chaotic and crazy. We are die-hard Sixers fans and basketball fans, just can't imagine a world without him."
M/S Mourners *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Mark Altshuler, Mourner: "I just think he is the heart of this school, you know my kids come to school here and they play basketball in his gym and get to walk by his jersey on a regular basis and knowing someone at high school who had dreams to be the best ever, he's an inspiration to all the kids in this area and all over, you know, follow your dreams."
C/U Mourners bringing flowers
M/S Mourners bringing flowers
SCRIPT
Fans of deceased NBA star Kobe Bryant gathered on Sunday outside Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, where Bryant went to high school, to pay their respects and honour the player after he was killed in a helicopter accident.
Footage filmed at the school shows a group of fans mourning Bryant, as some of them bring flowers, basketball balls, and jerseys outside the gymnasium named after him.
"I've been following Kobe and his career for over 20 years, growing up in Philadelphia and now my kids go here, and I just wanted my kids to have a moment tonight to honour him before they come to school tomorrow when I know it's gonna be a little more chaotic and crazy," said Mark Altshuler, one of Bryant's fans.
"He is an icon and he's a 'GOAT', which means greatest of all time, and that's how people look up to him, said Valerie Hardin, another fan. "Look at the people around here, he's a hero."
Bryant, 41, was reportedly travelling in a private helicopter on route to a special basketball practice at the Mamba Academy it crashed and burst into flames.
The player won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers for whom he played his entire 20-year career before retiring in 2016 as the NBA's third-highest all-time scorer. He was named an All-Star on 18 occasions and won gold medals with Team USA at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.