Mike Hickmon, a youth football coach, was reportedly shot dead following a dispute at a little league football game that took place in Lancaster, Texas, on Saturday evening.
The 43-year-old, who reportedly played in the National Football League (NFL) for 8 years, was reportedly shot three times on field in front of his 9-year-old son. He was rushed to a local hospital where he succumbed to injuries.
Also Read: NFL players union president blasts Soldier Field conditions
Video of the incident doing the rounds on social media showed a group of people fighting on field before someone opens fire. The circumstances that led to the dispute are not known.
Though police and authorities are yet to make a statement on the incident, several people offered condolences to the coach on social media.
Kendrick Perkins, an American former professional basketball player, tweeted, “This was a Coach for a youth football team in Dallas, Texas. I don’t know this Coach and I’ve never met him a day in my life… but I do know that he didn’t deserve to have his life taken in front of his 9-year-old son over no damn little football. RIP Coach Mike.”
“We send our deepest thoughts and prayers to the family, friends, former teammates, and players of Coach Mike Hickmon after learning about the appalling tragedy that took place earlier this evening in Lancaster,” Texas Football Life tweeted.
Also Read: NFL players union president blasts Soldier Field conditions
Radio personality Troy Hughes tweeted, “A youth football game in Lancaster leads to an argument … a fight … and the murder of coach Mike Hickmon. Horribly tragic and absolutely disgusting … all in one.”
The Lancaster Police Department issued a press release saying that the suspect involved in the coach’s murder has been identified as Yaqub Salik Talib and there’s an active warrant for his arrest. Yaqub is the brother of former NFL star Aqib Talib.