European hoops player dies from gunshot in Wis.
By CARRIE ANTLFINGER (AP) 2 hours ago
MILWAUKEE European league basketball player Lavelle Felton has died from a gunshot wound he suffered earlier this week at a Milwaukee gas station, police said Friday.
The 29-year-old died Thursday about 9:30 p.m. and no arrests have been made in the shooting, police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said.
Felton was shot in the head while sitting in the driver's seat of a vehicle at a gas station around 2 a.m Wednesday morning. He was taken to Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital near Milwaukee, where he died.
Schwartz said she was releasing few details because there was no one in custody. Detectives have been interviewing people near the gas station and to Felton's friends and relatives.
"We're trying to find out a motive," Schwartz said Friday. "We're trying to talk to anybody who might have seen something."
Felton played for Paderborn last season in Germany's top league, Bundesliga. He was a guard and played in 34 games, averaging 10.4 points and 2.4 assists per game as he helped the club reach the Bundesliga playoffs.
The Milwaukee native also played basketball at Madison High School in Milwaukee, then played at Louisiana Tech, where he averaged 13.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in 2002-03. He then spent two years with the Turkish club Buyuk Kolej before moving on to Greece and France.
Former Wisconsin-Milwaukee basketball standout Avery Smith described Felton as a good friend and someone he's known since they were young. He said Thursday that Felton loved his girlfriend, with whom he has two children, and was a role model for youngsters.
Felton's Los Angeles-based agent, Mark Mayemura, said Thursday he spoke to his client earlier in the week because he was negotiating with teams for next season. He had offers on the table and Felton was supposed to give Mayemura an answer on Wednesday.
Mayemura said he was shocked and saddened when he heard about the shooting.
There were numerous comments on Felton's Facebook page. Many of his friends changed their profile photos Friday to his picture and said they were in disbelief.
"I am not taking the news well at all but I know you are in a better place now and that God will take care of you," Kiana Believesinkarma-Addison wrote. "I love you like a brother and I miss you. Until we meet again.... R.I.P. Velle."
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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