Western Michigan basketball player Joeviair Kennedy has been charged with murder and armed robbery in connection with the death of a fellow student, the AP reported Monday.
Kennedy allegedly shot and killed a 19-year-old student named Jacob Jones in an off-campus apartment Dec. 8. Authorities believe the homicide was part of an attempt to rob Jones of his phone and money.
Kennedy was first arrested as a person of interest Friday and was set to be arraigned in Kalamazoo on Monday.
Kennedy is a lightly used freshman guard who has averaged 3.1 points and 0.9 rebounds a game this season. He has been suspended indefinitely, and his page has been removed from the official Western Michigan athletics web site.
Via MLive, here’s what Western Michigan coach Steve Hawkins had to say Saturday after Kennedy was first arrested:
“It’s a devastating loss for our university,” Hawkins said in his postgame press conference. “It’s a devastating tragedy for everybody involved. Lives were changed forever. We’re very, very respectful of that, and we’re very shook by the whole thing.”
Obviously Jones’ death is a terrible tragedy, and it’s surely a scary event for everyone at Western Michigan. Hopefully we’ll gain a clearer understanding of what happened to Jones as the legal process plays out.
