Former NBA star Adreian Payne has been shot dead in Orlando, Florida, aged just 31. Deputies with the Orange County Sheriff's Office were alerted of a shooting just after 6:00am BST (1:00am local time) on Monday.
Payne was found wounded, whilst the shooter - who has been identified by police as Lawrence Dority - remained at the scene. The authorities then transported Dority to Orange County Sheriff's Office headquarters where he was then interviewed by homicide detectives.
Dority has since been arrested on a warrant of first degree murder, and transported to Orange County jail following a statement.
It remains unknown as to what the motive was behind the shooting, and whether Dority has an attorney.
Following the news of his death, a number of tributes have poured in for former NBA star Payne, including from Michigan State University Head Coach Tom Izzo, who coached the 31-year-old in college.
In a statement Izzo said: “I'm in shock at the tragic news of Adreian Payne's death. Our prayers are with his family, teammates and loved ones. Adreian was loved by his teammates and coaches, who respected his development as a player and a person.
“Today is a difficult and sad day for the Spartan basketball family. Following graduation, Adreian regularly returned to East Lansing.” Speaking on behalf of the University, he added: “In doing so, he developed and strengthened relationships with players from all eras.
“I've heard from many of those players today, each one experiencing heartbreak, and each one with their own fond memory of Adreian.” After announcing himself as a standout player whilst competing for Michigan State, Payne was then selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2014 NBA draft.
As well as competing in the sport’s flagship league for the Hawks, the 31-year-old also spent time with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Orlando Magic. Payne also played basketball around the globe, competing in Greece, China, Lithuania, France and Turkey.
