‘King of Lemonade’ CEO Aubrie Greene, 17, shot dead weeks after high school graduation

A 17-year-old CEO who heralded himself as the “King of Lemonade” was fatally shot as he was driving around a residential neighborhood in Virginia — weeks after he graduated from high school.
Aubrie Greene, the founder of Breezzy’s Lemonade, was identified as the victim found suffering from a gunshot wound when police responded to a car crash in the yard of a Richmond, Va. home just before 5 p.m. on July 5, WTVR reported.
Greene crashed into the shed of the home after being shot and succumbed to his injuries days later, the outlet reported.
Greene’s mother announced the entrepreneur’s death over his company’s Instagram account on Wednesday.
“We never imagined Breezy not being here with us. Born Aubrie and in 17 years became a legend in our city King Breezy(CEO) Breezy we miss you so much and there’s many questions as of why,” Ceydria McCray wrote in a tribute.
“But I promise you one thing we had you then and we have you now. One can not destroy the legacy you created. Life without you have all of us feeling so strange with questions. But I do know the place you’re at your dimples are still showing and the love you’re getting is beyond me. God got you kid,” she said.
“Breezy loved what he created and hustled harder then any other I know. So this isn’t a loss, this is only the beginning of what’s next,” the grieving mother said. “Now Breezy watch over your brothers and sisters to the top. Breezy’s Lemonade will go because our job isn’t done. Dare to be different Dream bigger than your age and keep all lanes clear to it.- Aubrie I love you so much. And I’m so proud of you.”
Greene began his lemonade business in June 2019, when he was 11 years old, to help out his brother who was selling “cuisine” at an event without any beverages, the company’s bio reads.
“In Breezzy’s world my lemons are hand rolled individually to gather all its juices. I’ve taken on my challenges in life and I’m determined to prove to myself that with hard work and dedication I can put all my ideas into a vision and created greatness,” Greene wrote.
Following his early rollout, Greene began selling three flavors of his lemonade at the Market on 25th in Richmond’s East End neighborhood, according to WTVR.
Demand for the bottled drinks rose in 2022 following the COVID pandemic, which led Greene to create 10 different flavors and had begun to expand into herbal teas, mugs, hats and t-shirts.
The booming business led to the creation of a lemon-headed mascot and a red, mobile trailer Greene used to sell his products, according to the outlet.
The teen graduated from Richmond Public School’s Huguenot High School on May 26, with the lemonade business congratulating its CEO for the achievement.
“Our creator and founder graduated today,” the Instagram post read. “Breezzy the sky is the limit and it’s only up from here.”
No arrests have been made in the deadly shooting as McCray called on witnesses to help the investigation into her son’s death.
“We ask that anyone who has information, no matter how small it may seem, please come forward and cooperate with investigators,” she said.