Portland State basketball and football player Deante Strickland, 22, was fatally shot by his sister Tamena on Friday at his grandmother’s house, according to police.
Tamena, 30, also shot her grandmother and aunt, both suffered non-life threatening injuries. She was arrested Saturday morning on charges of murder and two counts of attempted murder, NBC News reports.
Deante and Tamen’s uncle, Damian Strickland, confirmed to The Oregonian that his nephew’s last words were “My sister shot me” and “I don’t want to die.”
Deante was a star player at Portland State University after being recruited by coach Barret Peery in 2017, per PEOPLE.
“We are better for having had Deante in our lives,” Peery said to OregonLive following news of Deante’s death. “His smile, passion and energy for life was second to none. He lit up a room and made the people around him better in every way.”
Peery added, “He loved his family, his friends and everyone around him. He had great pride in being a kid from Portland and it showed in how he competed each day. We will never forget him and he will always be with us.”
Strickland majored in social science at Portland State, where he also played 65 games over two seasons, according to Peery.
An investigation into Strickland’s death is still ongoing, including a search for a motive. Witnesses say after the murder, Tamena fled in a silver-colored Lexus SUV with a child inside.
