A young college basketball star was killed in New York on June 20, 2022. Houston Baptist’s Darius Lee was shot when assailants opened fire on a barbecue he was attending. Lee took a shot to the chest while eight others—seven men and one woman—were injured.
Collegiate Basketball Star Darius Lee Shot and Killed During Barbecue – 8 Others Injured
The shooting occurred in Harlem at around 12:40 AM according to the NYPD. Lee would be taken to a local hospital for treatment but was pronounced dead shortly afterward. In their initial investigation, police found a gun on the scene but have yet to make an arrest related to the young athlete’s murder or the shooting of eight others.
Playing the guard position for two seasons, the 6’6 senior was the school’s top player averaging 18.2 points and 8.2 rebounds during the 2021-2022 season for the Huskies. This was up from the 7.9 points and 3.0 rebound average from his 2020-2021 season with the team.
In a heartfelt statement, head coach Ron Cottrell said of Lee:
“As great of a basketball player as he was, he was an even better person. I can’t even think of basketball right now. I can only think of what a light Darius was during his short time on earth. He was a joy to coach and we loved him so much.”
Houston Baptist University would pay tribute to the player on social media by replacing avatars and featuring banners with the player. HBU Basketball would tweet:
𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 …
𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲.
𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱.
𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿.
—
𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 … https://t.co/hT1t81Nekk#DawgsUp#LoveYourBrother pic.twitter.com/JWhPoYs3WN
— HCU BASKETBALL (@HCUHoops) June 20, 2022
Lee was only 21 years old at the time of his death. Currently, the NYPD’s investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Condolences to his family, friends, and teammates.
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