High School Basketball Star Shot & Killed In Overtown
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A former South Florida high school basketball star was shot and killed Sunday and police are actively searching for the gunman.
Malcolm Nicholas III, 19, was shot shortly after 7:00 p.m. November 12 in the area of NW 5th Avenue and 17th Street in Overtown.
"Fire rescue was dispatched. He was transported to JMH trauma where he was pronounced deceased by medical staff there," said City of Miami police officer Christopher Bess.
Nicholas, CBS4 News has learned, played basketball at Miami Senior High and also attended Mater Academy Charter.
His former coach, who had known him since he was six years old, says Malcolm was attending school out of town and was visiting his grandmother when he was shot.
Javorie Wilson said Nicholas had a promising future.
"He was a really skilled kid. And we can see that at a young age, he was really skilled from the time he would come around at the summer camps," recalled Wilson.
Condolences poured out on social media as people learned about the shooting.
One tweet read, "VERY SAD DAY FOR MIAMI DADE BASKETBALL! THE LOSS OF MALCOLM NICOLAS JR IS DIFFICULT TO BARE. PRAYERS TO FAMILIES. @Gods_Gift_2017_ WE LOVE YOU SON!"
Another one read, "Even today we raise our hand against our brother... We have perfected our weapons, our conscience has fallen asleep, and we have sharpened our ideas to justify ourselves as if it were normal we continue to sow destruction, pain, death. Violence and war lead only to death."
City of Miami Police are asking for the public's help in catching whoever is responsible.
"If anyone was in the area during the incident, we are urging them to contact our police department or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers."
The number to Crime Stoppers is 305-471-TIPS.
There's a $3,000 reward offered for information leading to an arrest.