Lancaster police are looking for a man who they say shot a football coach after a disagreement between coaching staff Saturday evening.
According to police, at approximately 8:50 p.m., officers were dispatched to multiple calls for service at 1749 Jefferson St. in Lancaster, commonly known as Lancaster Community Park. During the disagreement, the opposing coaching staff was involved in a physical altercation, and one of the individuals involved discharged a firearm, striking an adult male, Lancaster police said.
Officers have identified a suspect involved in the altercation as Yaqub Salik Talib. Talib is the brother of Aqib Talib, a former NFL cornerback and five-time Pro Bowler who announced his retirement in 2020. There is an active warrant for his arrest.
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Police said the victim, identified as Coach Mike Hickmon, was transported to a local hospital for treatment where he was later pronounced dead.
TexaSports, a youth athletic league, posted the group's condolences to the family on Facebook Sunday.
"Tonight we lost a great father, son, husband and coach. He was coaching his son and team today at a sporting event somewhere in Dallas when his life was taken by a coward," the post said. "We pray for the Family and our community at this crazy time in youth sports."
A spokesperson with TexaSports tells NBC 5 Hickmon had been coaching in the league for years. However, we're told Saturday's event was not hosted my their league, but a different organization.
Recalling Saturday's events, Pastor Keith Hall answered a call from someone telling him that one of his members, Mike Hickmon, was hurt. He immediately called Hickmon but didn’t get an answer. Hall then called Hickmon’s wife, who broke the news.
“And when I called her and she said, ‘Pastor he didn’t make it. He didn’t make it.’ And she was just heartbroken, and all the air was sucked out of us,” Hall said,
Hall said Hickmon was active in their church, Grace Temple Fellowship, and passionate about coaching youth football.
“People gravitated to him. They loved him and they called him coach. He took time with them,” Hall said. “That’s just the type of person he was.”
Parents who attended the youth game said the yelling, the screaming, and the shooting happened in front of the children.
“I just imagine all the kids saw that, and they’re going to have to relive that,” said Hall.
Hall said the loss is devastating.
“We have two lovely children who don’t have their father in their life now,” he said. “We have a wife that is heartbroken and a family that is going through, and it’s very difficult, and we all need to be praying for them.”
Pastor Keith Hall tells us Jennifer Hickmon, a teacher murdered in 2020 was coach Mike Hickmon’s sister.
LOCAL NEWS
Anyone with information containing the whereabouts of Talib should contact Detective Senad Deranjic at 972-218-2756.
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