Hampton University basketball captain dies in accidental Va. shooting; suspect charged

Hampton basketball captain dies in Va. shooting

HAMPTON, Va. — A Hampton University basketball player has died from what police call an accidental shooting outside a nightclub.

Theo Smalling of Tampa, Fla., died Monday night, according to a university statement Tuesday.

Police said the 22-year-old team captain was shot in the abdomen early Saturday in the parking lot of a nightclub after another man mishandled a firearm.

Police have charged 21-year-old Dominique Devon Smith with reckless handling of a firearm. They could not say if he has an attorney. Police are awaiting autopsy results.

HU basketball coach Ed Joyner called Smalling’s death a “devastating loss.” Hampton President William R. Harvey described him as a “model” student-athlete.

A campus memorial in Smalling’s memory was planned Thursday night.

On the Web:

Hampton University Athletics: www.hamptonpirates.com/