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Darius Lee, a Houston Baptist basketball star, was reportedly shot dead on Monday morning in Harlem, New York. According to reports, following a season in which he led the Huskies in scoring and rebounds, 21-year-old Lee was recently awarded the university's Male Student-Athlete of the year. The hooper's friends and family were devastated, claiming that his bright basketball career was unjustly cut short as a result of a mass shooting at a Father's Day barbeque.
Darius Lee was one of the many individuals shot at the gathering on Monday at East 139th Street and Fifth Avenue. Authorities stated that although the 6'6 Houstan Baptist guard was not the original target, he was the only person to be killed. Lee was immediately rushed to the hospital when he was discovered shot in the chest. According to police reports, Houston Baptist identified Lee, who was declared dead at the hospital, as one of the seven wounded males.
Police revealed that at the scene of the shooting, a firearm was found. However, no further information about the event was disclosed as the authorities are yet to make any arrests in their on-going investigation.
More about the shooting at Harlem
Reports state that the event was a barbeque hosted by a Harlem rapper named Rich Rhymer. He circulated the invites over Instagram and even pointed out that his previous two gatherings had been quite successful and violence free.
The police stated that it was difficult to instantly have information on the crowd, prospective perpetrators, or events that may have culminated in the attack since the investigation was still underway on Monday. The shooting, which started at a park BBQ right after midnight at 12:40, is still under investigation, although authorities stated there were many shooters. However, they did discover a gun in the crime scene.
NYPD Deputy Chief Brian McGee stated that officers who arrived on the site saw five bleeding and wounded individuals on a sidewalk along Harlem River Drive under the Madison Avenue Bridge. Medics hurried them to neighboring hospitals. Furthermore, police eventually discovered that four other gunshot victims had either sought medical attention on their own while a few received assistance from others.
More about Houston Baptist basketball star Darius Lee
Before attending Houston Baptist University, Lee played basketball at a small college in Sullivan County, New York. According to Houston Baptist, the hooper was due to get his bachelor's degree in sports management this December.
As an award-winning student athlete, Lee was reportedly chosen for the second-team All-Southland Conference last season after leading the team in scoring and rebounds and finishing sixth nationally in steals per game. In the previous season, he scored 52 points, leading the team towards victory.
Ron Cottrell, the university's basketball coach, made a statement on the Houston Baptist's official website, praising Darius Lee's talents, saying,
"We are in shock and cannot wrap our heads around this news. My heart breaks for his mom, his sister and his entire family, and for our basketball team... As great of a basketball player as he was, he was an even better person."
Amidst rising concerns regarding gun violence in the US, Darius Lee became another innocent victim to die as a result of a mass shooting.
