Top High School Basketball Player Shot and Killed in New Jersey

10/05/2022 12:38 pm EDT

A top high school basketball player was shot and killed in New Jersey on Monday, according to NJ.com. Letrell Duncan, 16, was a sophomore at East Orange Campus High School and was reportedly shot four times on Monday afternoon. He was transported to University Hospital in Newark where he died. Investigators said they are looking for a group of people and a vehicle seen in the area where the shooting occurred. 

Duncan played guard at East Orange and was one of the top young prospects in the state. In his first season with the team, Duncan scored 180 points and helped the team post a 15-9 record. Duncan also played for the AAU team Garden State Bounce who released a statement when learning about his death. 

"We will miss you Trell, our floor general, team captain, and the best point guard our program has seen," Garden State Bounce said in an Instagram post. "You've set the bar. We are heartbroken and in shock that this has happened to you, but nevertheless, we know that you are comforted by God. "We love you and appreciate everything you've left us with. You were a very rare and special talent, but an even better person."

Ted Green, the mayor of East Orange, also released a statement. "Yesterday, a young man's life was brazenly cut short by a senseless act of violence that we will never normalize in our city, he said, per ABC 7. "16-year-old Letrell Duncan deserves more. Our young people are hurting. And so am I. This shooting has shaken our community to its core, and collectively, we must come together to prioritize and protect our young people. EOPD has increased patrols in our school corridors and we are taking aggressive action to ensure gun violence does not disrupt our community."

Green continued: "We need our children to feel safe traveling throughout our city. Anything else is unacceptable. I've been tough on crime since day one and I will remain that way – investing in more police officers and getting illegal guns off the street. But we also are investing in positive opportunities for our young people to mitigate the systemic pressures and disparities that put our youth at risk."

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