A 19-year-old college football player killed in Florida shooting on Mother’s Day. What we know

• A 19-year-old college football player, Nathaniel Bernard Jennings, was shot and killed in downtown Melbourne, Florida, early Mother’s Day morning.
• 24-year-old Stephan Dieujuste has been charged with manslaughter and claims self-defense after a verbal altercation with Jennings.
• The shooting occurred near the Neon Rodeo bar and was captured on surveillance cameras.

A 19-year-old college football player was shot to death in the early hours of Mother’s Day in Downtown Melbourne following an argument outside a popular nightspot, police said.

Another man has been charged with manslaughter and is claiming self-defense following a verbal altercation between the two on Sunday, May 11.

Here’s what we know as of Monday, May 12 about the shooting.

Where, when did the Mother’s Day shooting in Melbourne occur?

MPD said its officers responded around 1:51 a.m. on Sunday to the area of Vernon Place and East New Haven Avenue in downtown Melbourne after reports of gunshots near the refurbished Neon Rodeo bar and other nightspots. 

The incident was also captured on newly installed downtown surveillance cameras several feet away, city officials said.

Were there any fatalities in Mother’s Day Florida shooting?

Yes. The victim was identified as Nathaniel Bernard Jennings of Palm Bay.

The 19-year-old, who played football for the University of Northwestern in Minnesota, was said to be visiting home when he was shot to death. He had signed with the college last year out of Heritage High School and was a defensive lineman on the university’s football team. 

Upon arrival, officers found Jennings unresponsive and suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital where he later died.

Who is suspected of the Mother’s Day shooting in downtown Melbourne?

The suspected shooter, Stephan Dieujuste, 24, also of Palm Bay, was questioned by detectives about the shooting after claiming self-defense, Melbourne police say.

Dieujuste was later charged with manslaughter and taken into custody at the Brevard County Jail Complex in Sharpes. He will go before a judge on Monday for a bond hearing.

What was the motive for the Mother’s Day shooting in Melbourne?

It was not known how the two men — who graduated years apart from Bayside High School and Heritage High School in Palm Bay — knew each other.

Preliminary findings suggest that Jennings and the suspect were involved in a verbal altercation before the shooting, according to police.

Has the University of Northwestern responded to Jennings’ death?

FOX 35 in Orlando reported the head football coach at the University of Northwestern, Matt Moore, released a statement regarding the death of Nate Jennings:

“Nate was a treasured member of our football team, being honored with all-conference accolades following his first year of collegiate competition. For as talented as Nate was on the football field, he was an even better person off of it. His contagious energy and positivity will be missed. We are praying for Nate’s mother Autumn, brother Isaiah, and other members of his extended family during this difficult time.”