Authorities have released the names of three men wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting death of a sophomore quarterback for the Kennesaw State University football team.
The three men include 20-year-old Taziah Dekal McHenry, 19-year-old Melvin Douglas Hester III and 19-year-old Nicholas Joseph Wells, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials believe the men have information about 18-year-old Ladarius Clardy, who was found shot to death in a car near Pensacola early Thursday morning.
Clardy, a Florida native, was found in the driver’s seat and pronounced dead at scene, Escambia Sheriff Chip Simmons said in a news conference. A 19-year-old passenger was found in the car with Clardy. He was taken to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds.
Clardy’s car had taken heavy gunfire and been struck by at least 50 rounds, Simmons said.
“That name should be familiar to some of us from this area,” Simmons said of Clardy. “He had a bright athletic history and a bright athletic future.”
Clardy is listed on the KSU website as a sophomore who appeared in two games during the truncated 2020 season. He previously played at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola.
“We are devastated and heartbroken over the death of Ladarius Clardy,” KSU head football coach Brian Bohannon said in a statement released by the university. “Ladarius was an excellent teammate and left a mark on this program with his positive attitude. He will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ladarius’ family at this difficult time.”
The university will offer grief counseling in support of its student-athletes, the statement said.
“This is not just a statistic,” Sheriff Simmons said. “This is a son. This is a friend. This is a teammate, and enough is enough.”
Students may access on-campus counseling services by emailing counseling@kennesaw.edu to schedule an appointment.
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