Our hearts are broken today after hearing that Mulberry High graduate Blane Lane has died.
Lane was a Polk County Sheriff's Office deputy; he was fatally shot early this morning while serving a warrant. He was just 21 years old.
Lane graduated from Mulberry High in 2020 and enrolled in a law enforcement academy soon after. He played football and golf during his high school days, liked to fish, and was also active in FFA.
“He was full of life — always had a bright smile and was friendly and respectful, had lots of friends,” said Principal Michael Young. “He was just an upstanding young guy.”
Mulberry High's Kevin Wells coached Lane on the football team.
“He was a charismatic type of kid, a nice, enjoyable young man,” Wells said. “He just wanted to be the life of everything happening around here.”
Young said it was well known at Mulberry that Lane dreamed of becoming a deputy, and was working hard toward that goal.
“He was somebody you would root for,” Young said. “He was one of those kids you really wanted to succeed.”