He was only 35.
The basketball community is mourning the death of former professional player Kinu Rochford.
Rochford, 35, was killed Friday night after gunfire erupted during the Kingdome Basketball Tournament in Harlem, New York. Two bystanders were also injured but are expected to live.
Police are still searching for the shooter.
According to the NYPD, officers responded to reports of shots fired shortly after 10:20 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Towers basketball courts.
ABC reports that Rochford suffered a gunshot wound to the head. He was rushed to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A 28-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman were also struck by gunfire and remain in stable condition.
Authorities believe the shooting stemmed from a dispute involving Rochford, although no arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing.
Kinu Rochford Was A Star Overseas
A Brooklyn native, Rochford starred at Fairleigh Dickinson University after beginning his college career at Globe Institute of Technology.
He went on to spend nearly a decade playing professionally overseas. His career included stops in Lithuania, France, Israel, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. He also won the Lithuanian National Basketball League championship in 2017.
Fairleigh Dickinson paid tribute to its former standout on social media, calling Rochford a “standout Knight and leader.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also expressed condolences, saying New Yorkers should be able to enjoy community events without fearing gun violence.
The annual tournament has since been thrown into uncertainty as organizers review the remainder of the 2026 schedule.
