A Missouri children’s soccer coach has revealed the terrifying moment he was shot by an angry father after arguing over his son’s playing time on the field.
Shaquille Latimore, 30, was shot to death on Oct. 10 in front of a huge group of children made up of numerous teams, the culmination of a weeks-long dispute.
After suspected shooter Daryl Clemmons, 43, turned himself in to police and is now charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action, Latimore spoke out and described the grisly incident in detail.
“I thought he was going to kill me,” he told Newsnation. “I mean, he shot while I had no gun, I had no gun, I was defenseless on the ground.”
Shaquille Latimore, 30, admitted from his hospital bed that he thought the gunman was “going to kill me” as he recounted the grisly incident in which he was shot four times
Latimore was shot four times in the leg, arm, back and stomach and suffered injuries to his internal organs. However, he says he is recovering in the hospital and is “getting better every day.”
Daryl Clemmons, 43, turned himself in at the North Patrol Division station the day after the Oct. 11 shooting and was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action
From his hospital bed, Latimore said the shooting occurred after he benched a young player because he “didn’t play well the day before,” which infuriated the suspected gunman.
Latimore, a married father of five, said he reached out to the angry father “because we had talked before,” which quickly escalated into a horrific shootout.
“When I tried to talk to him or whatever, he pulled out his gun and I saw his gun, I ran away, jumped off, jumped off the top parking lot into the grass. “And he shot me,” he said .
Latimore was hit in the leg, arm, back and stomach and suffered injuries to his internal organs after Clemmons allegedly continued firing into the bus as it hit the ground.
“He shot me once in the back, then he shot me two or three more times while I was on the ground… And I mean, I was just in disbelief.”
After firing four shots in front of horrified onlookers, Latimore said the gunman told him, “You thought this was over? You thought you got one?”
Latimore added that the shooting was made worse by the fact that not only did his team of 9- and 10-year-olds witness the shooting, but several other grades ranging in age from 7 to 12 were also bystanders.
Latimore told authorities that the defendant was “upset that he didn’t give birth to his son,” according to a probable cause statement from the St. Louis District Attorney’s Office.
Clemmons coached the 9U St. Louis Recreation League Bad Boyz several years ago before Latimore joined as a volunteer assistant coach, working with his cousin
Married father of five children
Latimore’s mother, SeMiko Latimore, said she was familiar with Clemmons’ “antics” from previous practices.
“He was special.” You always knew he was there.
“Shaquille is one of those fair coaches, so he tries to rotate all the kids. The parent was a little dissatisfied and wanted their child to do more than someone else and was upset with the way things were done,” she said.
‘[The shooting] is pointless. We should take these children off the streets and teach them what to do and what not to do.
“We traumatized all of these kids because their coach was shot in front of them. “He could have easily hit one of these kids.”
The coach’s mother, SeMiko Latimore, said she was familiar with the alleged shooter’s “antics” from previous training sessions
According to a fundraiser for Latimore’s recovery, which reached over $7,000 in just a few days, the severity of his injuries means the coach “will be out of work indefinitely.”
As he recovers in the hospital and is “getting better every day,” Latimore is experiencing an outpouring of support from his young players and their families.
Latimore said his players’ adoration is “the way I receive my blessings,” and said his role as a community leader is strengthened by the help he received from coaches as a child.
“You know, someone did this for me.” When I was younger, someone trained me and just kept me off the streets.
‘St. Louis is a cold place, a really cold place that will swallow you up if you let it. I love these children, every single one of these children.
“I train hard. I somehow transfer everything we do in football to life, for us it is hard work where nothing is given.
“No, exactly the same, the same thing in life.” No, you can’t just go out and get a job. You have to work hard. You can’t just go out and get something. We have to work hard.’