Louisiana high school QB shot dead days before graduation

BATON ROUGE, La. (CBS News) Authorities say a Baton Rouge high school quarterback who was set to graduate this week was fatally shot.

News outlets report Baton Rouge Police Department spokesman Sgt. L’Jean McKneely says 18-year-old Bryant Lee was fatally shot in the head Saturday morning in North Baton Rouge. Two other victims suffered minor injuries.

Ken Hilton, head football coach at McKinley, told CBS affiliate WAFB Lee was on his way home after a party.

“It’s a sad day when you lose a member of your family like this,” Hilton said.

Lee was previously shot in the leg in a drive-by shooting in November, Hilton said.

Hilton says Lee had a 3.5-grade point average and was set to graduate Wednesday. Hilton told WAFB Lee was looking forward to attending college at Southern University. He planned to study mechanical engineering and hoped to join the football team there as a walk-on, reports the Advocate.

“Bryant was an 18-year-old dedicated scholar who put his academics above his job as the leader of our football team,” said McKinley principal Herman Brister in a statement released to the Advocate. “Students and teachers alike will remember Bryant as intelligent, hard-working, focused, fun-loving and as having a great sense of humor.”

Authorities say they don’t have a motive or suspect in the shooting. Anyone with information is urged to contact Baton Rouge Police at 225-389-4869 or Crime Stoppers at 225-344-7867.