A promising college football player was stabbed to death outside a Providence nightclub in a shocking early-morning attack that also left one of his teammates injured.
Marvins Antoine, 18, a freshman running back at UMass Dartmouth, was killed shortly after midnight Saturday following an altercation that began near Mezzo Lounge in Providence, Rhode Island.
Police said the confrontation spilled into a nearby Wendy’s parking lot, where Antoine and fellow UMass Dartmouth player Kensley Macean, 19, were stabbed.
Officers responding around 12:30 a.m. found Antoine suffering from stab wounds to the chest.
He was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Macean suffered injuries to his head and neck and was also taken to the hospital. His injuries were not considered life-threatening.
The case took another disturbing turn when police identified the suspect as another UMass Dartmouth student.
Chukuwnonso Uzoma-Eze, 19, was arrested and charged with murder in connection with Antoine’s death.
Authorities said Uzoma-Eze was located and taken into custody by UMass Dartmouth Police after Providence detectives identified him through witness interviews, surveillance footage and other evidence.
He later appeared in a Massachusetts courtroom for an extradition hearing.
According to NBC Boston, Uzoma-Eze waived extradition and is expected to be returned to Rhode Island, where he will formally face the murder case.
Police are still working to determine exactly what sparked the confrontation.
Providence investigators said Antoine, Macean and other members of the UMass Dartmouth football team had been at Mezzo Lounge before the violence broke out.
Detectives are continuing to interview witnesses, review surveillance footage and analyze evidence as they reconstruct the sequence of events.
Police have also said additional charges remain possible as the investigation continues.
Antoine’s death has devastated his family, teammates and the UMass Dartmouth community.
His sister, Stacie Antoine, remembered him as much more than an athlete.
“He was my best friend,” she said in a statement shared with local media.
She said her brother was the person she turned to whenever she needed to talk, needed help or simply wanted someone by her side.
Antoine was a Boston native who had graduated from Durfee High School in Fall River before beginning his freshman year at UMass Dartmouth.
He stood 5-foot-10 and weighed about 180 pounds, playing running back for the Corsairs.
Friends and former teammates described him as upbeat, friendly and someone who was almost always smiling.
UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Mark Fuller called the killing a heartbreaking loss for the university.
“Our hearts and prayers are very much with Marvins’ family, friends, classmates, and teammates as we mourn his loss together,” Fuller said.
The university also said counseling and support services were being made available to students and staff affected by the tragedy.
The school said there was no indication of an ongoing threat to the campus community.
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