Darius Lee
College basketball star dies in New York shooting at age 21
“A great basketball player and an even better person”: Darius Lee, here with the number 23 at an NCAA game in late 2020 in Arizona.
© Rick Scuteri / Picture Alliance
College basketball in the US mourns the loss of Darius Lee. The Houston Huskies star was shot dead during a barbecue in New York’s Harlem. Eight other people were injured.
A US college basketball star has been killed in a shooting in New York. Darius Lee, who played for the Houston Huskies, the team at Houston Baptist University (HBU) in Texas, was one of nine people shot at a gathering in the Harlem borough in the early hours of Monday morning, US media reports . The 21-year-old was therefore the only victim who was fatally hit. Six other men and two women were injured, police said.
Darius Lee was apparently a guest at a barbecue
The shooting reportedly happened while filming a rap video at a barbecue hosted by Harlem rapper Rich Rhymer. Rhymer is said to have invited to the event on his Instagram account. He pointed out that his two previous barbecues were non-violent and wrote: “LETS GO FOR A 3PEAT”. Lee grew up in Harlem and had returned home for summer vacation.
“We are devastated. Darius was a remarkable young man who loved the Lord, his mother, his family, his teammates, his friends and his entire HBU family,” said Houston Baptist coach Ron Cottrell. “We are in shock and cannot believe this news. My heart goes out to his mother, his sister and his entire family as well as our basketball team. The only thing that comforts us right now is knowing where Darius is. He is in the Poor of Jesus, we know that very well. And we will see him again one day.”
Lee was selected to the second-team All Southland selection last season after leading the Huskies in points and rebounds. He ranked sixth nationally in steals per game. He averaged 18.2 points per game and even managed 52 points in a four-overtime game, the most in a Division I game all season.
“Not only was he a great basketball player, he was an even better person,” said Cottrell. “I can’t even think about basketball right now. All I can think about is what a light Darius was in his short time on earth. He was a pleasure to coach and we loved him so much.” Lee was on track to earn his bachelor’s degree in sports management in December, according to the university.
Supreme Court rules on gun laws in New York
The exact background to the shooting is still unclear. The police have according to the Associated Press news agency (AP) found a firearm at the scene. Details of possible suspects are not yet known.
The shooting came amid a nationwide debate about gun violence and as the US Supreme Court is considering whether to overturn a law making it more difficult to legally carry a handgun in New York. The number of shootings in the Big Apple is down 11 percent this year compared to last year, the AP reports. The number of murders has therefore fallen by twelve percent, but is still at the second highest level since 2012.
Sources: CBS Sports, Associated Press, ESPN