Vigil held for gunned down football star

CULVER CITY, Calif. (KABC) -- Friends and family gathered for a candlelight vigil on Sunday night at Culver City High School to remember a former football star who was shot to death.

Officers found the body 19-year-old Damien White in his car in South Los Angeles early Sunday morning. Officers said the wide receiver was shot in the head shortly after 1 a.m. after he left a party.

White had recently returned to the Los Angeles area to continue playing football at El Camino College in Torrance. He had previously played at the University of Minnesota on an academic scholarship.

Police are looking into whether or not the shooting was gang related. However, people close to the player said he was never in a gang.

His former football coach Greg Goodyear said White was a leader off and on the field.

"He was the MVP of the track team. MVP of the football team. He was a great kid. He was in the top 3 or 4 in the records in the history of our school," he said.

Friends say they can't understand why White was killed and are hoping the public will help police.

"Just step up and give the police any information because he was a good kid and the people who did this need to be brought to justice," said Brandon Patterson, White's former teammate.

Los Angeles police are asking anyone with information on the shooting to call them at 1-877-LAPD-24-7.

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