HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) — A 21-year-old college basketball star was killed and eight others shot when gunfire erupted in Harlem.
It is believed to have been a gang shooting that left an innocent young man dead.
On Tuesday morning, family and friends of the man killed in the late-night barbecue spoke out as police continued to search for the gunmen.
College basketball star Darius Lee, 21, was a 2018 graduate of St. Raymond High School in the Bronx. He was due to graduate from Houston Baptist University next year.
Lee made his family, friends, coaches and teammates proud as they honored him Monday night in Harlem and Houston.
St. Raymond High School released a statement on the former student’s death in an Instagram post:
“We are heartbroken and devastated to learn of the senseless death of Darius Lee, Class of 2018. Our prayers and condolences go out to his family at this time and we pray for his eternal rest with our Lord. Aside from being a great basketball star, he was a phenomenal person and young man who lived such a positive life, thriving at school, on the court and in life. These senseless acts of violence must stop… what a tragedy.”
He was shot after gunfire erupted at a cookout along Harlem River Drive around 12:30 a.m. Monday.
Nine people were shot.
Seven men and two women, ages 21 to 42, were attacked in an East River park on the area of Fifth Avenue and East 139th Street.
Two of those shot have gang connections, and at least one of them may have been a gunman.
Very little surveillance video was recovered due to the location of the shots across from an overpass on the other side of the freeway.
WATCH: Where the shots broke out and where the victims fled to
It was specifically chosen to evade the police, according to the organizer’s Instagram post.
“He’s an innocent kid,” Lee’s sister Tiara Weaver said. “He decided to stay out one day and that’s what happened.”
“He was a pure soul. So nice,” said his cousin Thailyn Lee. “Wasn’t on the street or anything. He was all about basketball. He didn’t deserve any of this.”
Police seized a gun at the scene.
Investigators believe at least three firearms were used to fire off dozens of shots.
They’re still trying to determine how many.
So far there have been no arrests and they are asking for the public’s help.
Mayor Eric Adams and the Police Commissioner are expected to provide another update Tuesday afternoon.
After the shooting, Lee’s coach expressed sadness and confusion at his star’s untimely assassination.
“Darius was a remarkable young man who loved the Lord, his mother, his family, his teammates, his friends and his entire HBU family,” Ron Cottrell, HBU’s head men’s basketball coach, wrote in a statement. “We are in shock and cannot take care of this news.”
Despite the violent circumstances surrounding Lee’s death, Cottrell added that his student athlete left a positive legacy.
“As great as a basketball player was, he was an even better person. I can’t even think about basketball right now. I can only think of what a light Darius was during his short time on earth. He was a pleasure to coach and we loved him so much,” Cottrell wrote.
HBU athletic director Steve Moniaci not only expressed his sadness at the loss of Lee, but also railed against yet another act of gun violence.
“He was a very fine young man who had a very bright future ahead of him both on and off the pitch. Unfortunately, this is yet another example of the senseless gun violence that seems to be plaguing our country right now and we are all praying for it to stop,” Moniaci wrote in a statement.
Lee’s influence on the court was also too hard to ignore.
Last season, he was a second-team All-Southland Conference pick after leading the Houston Baptist in goals and rebounds. He was also one of the top defenders in the country, ranking sixth in the nation in steals per game.
Darius’ father, Eric Lee, says his son was once chubby and not a kid you’d expect to become a top athlete.
But by age 21, Lee had earned basketball scholarship after basketball scholarship and was a star at varsity. He wasn’t a young adult that anyone would expect to be a victim of gun violence.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit tips by visiting the CrimeStoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or by sending a message on Twitter @NYPDTips.
As of June 20 that year, there have been 277 mass shootings in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
There were 692 mass shootings in 2021, 611 in 2020 and 417 in 2019.
Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as a gunfight in which four or more are injured or killed, not including the perpetrator.
Sister station KTRK in Houston contributed to this report
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