A star faculty soccer participant was allegedly shot and killed by a former faculty basketball participant whereas visiting his hometown in Florida on Mom’s Day weekend.
Nathaniel Bernard Jennings, 19, was gunned down in Downtown Melbourne after police stated he obtained into an argument with suspect Stephan Dieujuste, 24, close to Neon Rodeo bar on Saturday at round 1:50 a.m., Florida At this time reported.
Melbourne Police and Fireplace Rescue rapidly responded to the scene, the place they discovered Jennings — a freshman defensive lineman for the College of Northwestern, St. Paul — unresponsive.
He was rushed to a neighborhood hospital, the place he was declared lifeless.
Dieujuste, a former Jap Florida State School level guard, was questioned by police on the scene and claimed the taking pictures was in self-defense.
The previous faculty basketball participant was later arrested and charged with manslaughter. He’s at present being held on the Brevard County Jail Complicated.
The taking pictures was captured on newly put in downtown surveillance cameras, metropolis officers confirmed to Florida At this time.
Police are nonetheless investigating what sparked the argument between the 2 males.
It’s additionally unclear if Jennings, a graduate of Heritage Excessive Faculty, and Dieujuste, a graduate of Bayside Excessive Faculty, knew one another.
“It is an active investigation,” a spokesperson for the Melbourne Police Division, Lt. Bradley Blount, instructed Florida At this time.
After information broke of the star protection lineman’s loss of life, the pinnacle soccer coach on the College of Northwestern, Matt Moore, launched a press release praising Jenning’s character on and off the gridiron.
“Nate was a treasured member of our football team, being honored with all-conference accolades following his first year of collegiate competition,” Moore stated, in keeping with WESH 2.
“For as talented as Nate was on the football field, he was an even better person off of it. His contagious energy and positivity will be missed. We are praying for Nate’s mother, Autumn, brother Isaiah, and other members of his extended family during this difficult time.”
The rising faculty soccer star completed his freshman season at Northwestern with 55 whole tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and one fumble restoration.
Jennings’ loss of life is the primary reported murder in Melbourne this yr, in keeping with metropolis crime statistics. It’s also solely the second murder to occur within the downtown space within the final two years.
Randy Bennett — a bar proprietor who’s labored downtown for practically a decade — stated the taking pictures occurred in entrance of the enterprise subsequent to his, and his employees was working when the “whole thing went down.”
“Downtown is beautiful, it’s safe, people aren’t getting their stuff stolen,” Bennett instructed WESH 2. “This was an isolated incident by a couple people who decided to take it into their own hands instead of buying each other a beer.”
“Very upsetting because this is a nice place to come,” native resident Linda Bouley instructed the outlet.
“I’m glad they found the [suspect]. It doesn’t really give me relief because it’s like why did this happen? Why is a 19-year-old getting shot? Why does somebody have a gun out here where this is supposed to be an area that you just come to enjoy yourself.”
Dieujuste made his preliminary courtroom look on Monday and was ordered held with out bond, courtroom data present.
His subsequent courtroom look has been set for June 5.
