'Celebration of Life' honors beloved basketball prodigy killed in Overtown

Miami detectives continue search for killer of Malcolm Nicholas III

MIAMI ā€“ Instead of silence and candles, the family of Malcolm Nicholas III held a "celebration of life" at Gibson Park in Miami's Overtown Friday night. There was a DJ, dancing and food. Some of the friends of the 18-year-old aspiring NBA starĀ wore T-shirts with pictures of him in his honor.Ā 

Among the hundreds of mournersĀ were Miami detectives. They are still searching for clues in the Sunday night murder of the high school point guard who was visiting his parents when he was fatally shot in the street.

Nicholas was a postgraduate studentĀ at Believe Sports Academy in Athens, Tennessee.Ā Former Miami Heat forward Udonis HaslemĀ mourned the basketball prodigyĀ and former Miami Senior High and Mater Academy Charter School standout earlier this weekĀ Ā on Instagram.Ā 

"This breaks my heart. I'm literally tearing up right now. This young man didn't deserve this. He had his entire life ahead of him and basketball was his way out of this city," HaslemĀ wrote. "I've known his father all my life. I know he was a good kid."

After visiting his grandmother, detectives said Nicholas was walking to his parents home in the area of Northwest 5th Avenue and 17th Street in Overtown. He was shot about 7 p.m. five blocks away from Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center, where he was later pronounced dead.Ā 

Tia Kemp, hisĀ aunt, was at the memorial Friday night after a service. Nicholas already had offers to Indiana University, Purdue University and the University of Tennessee.Ā Relatives understand a driver pulled up next to him and someone inside opened fire.Ā 

"He didnā€™t deserve this," Kemp said.Ā 

Detectives were asking anyone with information to call 305-603-6350 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
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About the Authors:

Layron Livingston made the move from Ohio's Miami Valley to Miami, Florida, to join the Local 10 News team.

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.