High School Football Star Ladarius Clardy Killed As Car Shot at 50 Times
Police in Florida have said they are determined to find the killer of a high school football star who was shot at around 50 times on Thursday.
Ladarius Clardy, 18, of Pensacola, was pronounced dead at the scene after the car he was traveling in crashed in the area of Fairfield Drive and Hollywood Avenue around midnight.
The Escambia County Sheriff's Office said when the deputies arrived, they found Clardy's body and an injured 19-year-old passenger.
In a press conference, Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said the car had been shot at around 50 times—condemning the violence that killed Clardy, a quarterback for Kennesaw State University and Pine Forest High School.
"That name should be familiar to some of us that are there from this area. He had a bright, athletic history. And he had a bright, athletic future," Simmons said.
At the press conference, Simmons said he was not aware of the current condition of Clardy's 19-year-old passenger, who was undergoing surgery.
The sheriff's office is now asking for the public's help in finding the person or people who fired at the car, with CrimeStoppers offering a $5,000 reward for information.
"What we want to do is make sure that we have a complete rundown of what took place last night," Simmons said. "Because this is not just a statistic, this is a son, this is a friend, this is a teammate. And enough is enough.
"We cannot sit here and just keep saying, 'Oh another, another senseless act of violence.' So we need your help."
Tributes have been paid to the football star, who graduated as Pine Forest's all-time leading passer in 2020.
"He's my favorite quarterback of all time," Pine Forest teammate Dacarrion McWilliams told the Pensacola News Journal.
"I have just been laying in bed all day thinking about how and why this could happen. He was my brother. We grew up together since we were little."
McWilliams said he last saw Clardy on June 19 in Birmingham, Alabama, and told him that he loved him.
"Those were my last words to him," McWilliams said.
"When he came over here, we were talking about how we'd go to the NFL and contribute [to Pensacola] and everything. His dad is the reason I am the way I am right now. It all started with the Pensacola Browns."
The Browns are a youth football team set up by Clardy's father.
In a statement, Kennesaw State's head football coach, Brian Bohannon, said: "We are devastated and heartbroken over the death of Ladarius Clardy.
"Ladarius was an excellent teammate and left a mark on this program with his positive attitude. He will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ladarius' family at this difficult time."
Kennesaw State Athletics added: "We send our deepest condolences and prayers to the loved ones of Ladarius Clardy.
"We are committed to providing support and resources for our student-athletes and staff during this difficult time."
Newsweek has contacted Escambia County Sheriff's Office for an update.
