Shuan Stegall, a stalwart presence on Kennesaw State's basketball team from 2004-08, was shot and killed Saturday night following an argument at his father's Decatur residence.
A "drug-related altercation" broke out between two unidentified gunmen and Gerald Stegall Sr., 57, in the 2400 block of Mellville Avenue, DeKalb police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said. Stegall, 25, intervened and was shot repeatedly. He was pronounced dead a few hours later at a local hospital, Parish told the AJC. The suspects remain at large.
The elder Stegall, who faces no criminal charges, was pistol-whipped, but his injuries were not believed to be serious.
His son's shooting came as a shock to the Kennesaw State campus, where Stegall emerged as a star after transferring from the University of Nebraska. He was one of just 11 players in the program's history to surpass 1,000 points during his career and twice led the Owls in rebounds.
"This is a very devastating and emotional time for all of us in the Kennesaw State basketball family," Owls head basketball coach Tony Ingle said. "Everyone who recruited and coached Shuan loved him. His mother and father, Tamika and Gerald, are just wonderful people and all of our thoughts and prayers are with them."
After graduating from Kennesaw State, Stegall played professionally for teams in Britain and Syria. The Stone Mountain native played prep ball for Redan High School.
His final game at KSU was easily his best, school officials said. Stegall scored 21 points to go with 18 rebounds, six assists and three steals to lead the Owls to a 65-61 victory over rival Mercer.
"Shuan is one of the primary reasons we were able to win our second straight Peach Belt Conference championship in 2005," Ingle said. "I have a lot of fond memories of Shuan the player, but also of Shuan the person."
Stegall's funeral will be held Saturday at Covenant Ministries Cathedral in Decatur, KSU announced.
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