Univ. Of Oklahoma Hoops Player Wounded By Stray Bullet In Mount Vernon
MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — A college basketball player with dreams of the NBA was shot in his hometown.
He was simply standing outdoors, when he was hit by a stray bullet, CBS 2's Lou Young reported Thursday.
The shooting occurred Tuesday night in what police said is an especially gang-infested part of Mount Vernon -- Third Street near Third Avenue.
Isaiah Cousins, a 20-year-old former local high school basketball star-turned college standout at the University of Oklahoma, was shot at the very start of his summer break -- an unfortunate trip back to his old neighborhood.
"He was a good kid and I don't even know why he was around here. He don't need to be around here," Mount Vernon resident Craig Deputy said.
"He's trying and he's doing well in school. That's what I heard. It's terrible, comes back and gets shot," resident Fern Wright added.
Cousins was out in front of the building his mother lives in with a group of people. The shot came from blocks away and hit him behind the shoulder. The wound is neither life nor career threatening, police said.
However, it was the latest incident underlying the danger in the area. Police said it's the second gang-related shooting this week on the same block. One resident told Young she's had enough.
"We're trying to move now. We didn't know because we (just) moved here. We didn't know that," the mother said.
Mount Vernon Mayor Ernie Davis said extra police will be assigned to the area this summer.
"The county has stepped in to assist us. We know that fewer than 1 percent of the people are responsible for 90 percent of the crime and we know who they are," Davis said.
Cousins is expected to be well enough to start training with his team again in a few weeks. He was treated at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, but did not require surgery, Young reported.
The sophomore averaged 11 points per game and started all 33 games for the Sooners during the 2013-14 season.
You May Also Be Interested In These Stories
