Ken McRoyal, U. of Idaho football player, shot dead at L.A. artists' venue

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

Police are investigating the shooting death of University of Idaho football player Ken McRoyal, early Sunday in Los Angeles.

/ CBS Los Angeles

(CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Police detectives are searching for the killer of University of Idaho football player Ken McRoyal, who was shot to death in downtown Los Angeles early Sunday morning.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office said McRoyal was shot during an argument. Details are sketchy, but police said there was a verbal altercation between McRoyal and at least four men, CBS Los Angeles reported. One of them opened fire, shooting McRoyal and another man who was shot in the arm.

The participants had been attending a photo shoot to promote a new woman's clothing line. The incident happened around 130 a.m. Sunday at the Brewery Lofts, a living and working space for artists.

McRoyal was a receiver at Idaho after two seasons at El Camino Junior College. He earned a football scholarship for the 2012 season, and his former coach John Featherstone told CBS Los Angeles that he could have played in the NFL.

Idaho coach Robb Akey told the AP that McRoyal's loss is devastating. "We've lost a brother, a teammate, a family member. But, more importantly, a momma lost her son today."

Police are seeking a motive for the shooting.

Dominique Blackman, McRoyal's cousin, is trying to make sense of the killing.

"They took somebody who meant a lot to our family and not only to our family but to a lot, to college football, to this community," Blackman told CBS Los Angeles. "He's a Katrina survivor. He's bigger than that - he's a father, my friend."

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