A Missouri man is facing charges for allegedly shooting a youth football coach after becoming angry about his son’s playing time, according to authorities reported by PEOPLE. 

Daryl B. Clemmons, 45, was convicted of assault and armed criminal action concerning the shooting that occurred in 2023, as stated in a press release from the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office on Friday, Feb. 28. Prosecutors revealed that Clemmons shot 34-year-old Shaquille Latimore, a volunteer coach for the City Rec Legends Football League. 

The incident occurred after a heated verbal exchange regarding the playing time Clemmons’s son received during a practice game in the Kingsway West neighborhood on October 10, 2023. According to the prosecution, both men were armed during the altercation, but Latimore handed his gun to a friend, suggesting they should “fight with fists.” It was at that moment that Clemmons shot Latimore five times before fleeing the scene. Clemmons later surrendered to the police on the same day.

According to the release, a group of children were playing in the vicinity when the shooting took place. During the trial, Latimore, who survived the incident, testified that Clemmons kept firing at him even after he had fallen to the ground, as reported by KTVI. In his defense, Clemmons claimed in court that he shot Latimore in self-defense after Latimore challenged him to fight, according to the outlet.

“Violence, especially in youth sports, is completely unacceptable and undermines the purpose of these programs — teaching teamwork, discipline, and respect,” Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore said in the release. “This could easily have been a lethal encounter for the coach as well as for the children and family members present. Unfortunately, the trauma of this event will not be easily forgotten by all those who witnessed it.”

#Clique, what are your thoughts?