St. Louis suspended a youth football team whose coach was shot in front of the players allegedly by an upset parent, according to a statement provided to The Associated Press on Friday.
“After a series of incidents perpetuated by adults which culminated in Tuesday’s shooting, the Recreation Division decided to suspend the team’s participation in the CityRec Legends Football league,” according to the statement from the agency. Assistant coach Shaquille Latimore, 30, was hospitalized last week after being shot multiple times at practice, allegedly by a father who was upset about his son’s playing time, authorities said. Latimore has since been released and is recovering at home, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Daryl Clemmons, 43, turned himself in and is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. His public defender declined to comment Friday. Latimore told police that Clemmons was “upset with him for not starting his son,” according to a probable cause statement.
Latimore told the Post-Dispatch he’s disappointed the season was canceled. “I didn’t see his gun until it was already too late,” Latimore told the Post-Dispatch. “I ran, and he shot me in the back. I fell, and he shot me a couple more times.” Then, he said, the gunman stood over him, taunting him. “After he shot me,” Latimore recalled, “he was like … ‘I told you I was going to pop your (expletive).’”
“I’m very upset about it,” Latimore told the newspaper. “I mean, those kids should not suffer from one action of adults. It’s not fair.”
Now, however, the team’s coach and families are expressing their disappointment in having their season cancelled, after the City of St. Louis ended their participation.
“I will step back just so they can let them have a season; don’t do that to them,” Latimore told WCAX in Vermont. The city’s recreation division released the following statement
regarding the team’s season: “After a series of incidents perpetrated by adults which culminated in a shooting, the recreation division decided to suspend the team’s participation in the CityRec Legends Football League. League rules are in place to ensure the protection of our youth participants.”