High school basketball star gunned down in Miami

MIAMI – A South Florida high school basketball star was gunned down over the weekend in Miami.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools spokesman John Schuster confirmed Monday that Malcolm Nicholas III, 18, was a former student-athlete at Miami Senior High School when his father was an assistant principal at the school.

The shooting guard also attended Mater Academy and Believe Prep Academy before transferring to a school in Tennessee to hone his skills. 

Relatives said Nicholas was in town for a family party and to celebrate Thanksgiving when he was killed.  

Miami police Officer Christopher Bess said the shooting was reported at 7:14 p.m. Sunday in the 1700 block of Northwest Fifth Avenue.

"I was in the house and my mom called me. She heard gunshots," Nicholas's cousin, Devondre Hopkins, said. 

Bess said officers found the young man suffering from gunshot wounds.

Nicholas was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center, where he died.

"(It was a case of) mistaken identity," Hopkins said. "He doesn't do anything. He plays basketball. He came down from school to go to one of his family member's party."

Many people were remembering Nicholas on social media for both his athletic ability and his pleasant demeanor.

Believe Academy tweeted its condolences to Nicholas's family, adding, "Malcolm -- May your bright smile forever shine down from the heavens above. God Bless."

According to Nicholas's Twitter page, the student-athlete decided in July to transfer to Believe Prep Academy after consulting with his family and coaches. His cousin said he later transferred to a special school in Tennessee. 

According to 247sports.com, Nicholas had offers to play for the Eastern Michigan Eagles and the IUPUI Jaguars.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. A reward of up to $3,000 is offered for information that leads to an arrest.