Texas college basketball player dies in shooting in Harlem

New York — A basketball player at Houston Baptist University in Texas was killed and eight others were injured Monday in an early morning shooting at a gathering in Harlem, the New York police said.

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Police responded to the scene around 12:40 am after receiving reports of a shooting on a trail along FDR Drive and found multiple people injured. Other victims went to hospitals on their own, authorities said.

According to a university report, 21-year-old Darius Lee, who was in his last year of college, has died. Lee grew up in Harlem, attended St. Raymond High School for Boys in the Bronx, and had returned to Harlem for summer vacation.

Among the injured are six other men and two women, according to police.

“This Father’s Day weekend is a weekend that people were supposed to enjoy with their families,” New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a news conference.

Police did not immediately provide details about the meeting, possible suspects or what may have led to the shooting.

A gun was recovered at the scene, according to police.

The New York Daily News reported that the gathering was a cookout hosted by Harlem rapper Rich Rhymer, who posted the invitations on his Instagram account. He noted that at two previous cookouts there had been no violent incidents.

A shooting guard and forward, Lee played basketball at a community college in New York’s Sullivan County before enrolling at Houston Baptist University. He was scheduled to graduate in December with a bachelor’s degree in sports management, the university said.

Lee was recently named the university’s Male Student-Athlete of the Year. He had the most points scored and rebounds last season, and finished sixth in the nation in steals per game, earning a second-team selection from the Southern Conference.