Former Clemson Football Star Diondre Overton Shot Dead, Parents Speak Out: ‘I Miss My Baby’

Authorities have not yet identified a suspect in Overton’s death.

The parents of late Clemson University football player Diondre Overton are mourning their son this week and asking anyone with information about his murder to come forward.

Overton, 26, was shot and killed Saturday, Sept. 7, at a party he was attending for a friend, his mother, Sandra Grace, and stepfather Bryan Hill told NBC affiliate WXII on Tuesday. “Diondre did not have a gun, does not own a gun. He would never shoot anybody,” Grace told the station. “He had a high value on life.”

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted on Facebook Sunday that officers responded to a noise complaint at a party at a residence in Greensboro, North Carolina, around 2:30 a.m. Saturday. Once officers arrived at the residence, they were advised that there had been a shooting and quickly found Overton.

“Despite immediate medical attention, Mr. Overton was pronounced deceased at the scene,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that the shooting appeared to be an “isolated” incident and that the homicide investigation remained “active and ongoing.”

Authorities have not identified a suspect in Overton’s killing as of Wednesday morning, leaving Overton’s parents with no answers. “If he shot her and he has no remorse and didn’t turn himself in, (or) his friends know who he is and didn’t turn him in,” Grace told WXII. “Not only did they take Diondre’s life, they’re going to take someone else’s life. Death is not a game, it’s permanent.”

PEOPLE has reached out to the sheriff’s office for an update on the status of the investigation.

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Nicknamed “Dre” by her family, Grace said she has been in shock since her son’s death last weekend. “Dre was my baby,” she told WXII. “I don’t know how I’m going to get through today, or the day after. And right now, it’s a little surreal because I haven’t seen him.”

Overton’s stepfather told the outlet that “wherever he went, he had a positive impact on people.”

“The only solace I have, the comfort I have, is knowing that he is extremely loved, extremely loved,” his mother added. “We didn’t know the extent of it, but I didn’t want to learn that way. I didn’t want to learn that way at all, and I miss my baby.”

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Clemson University announced the news of Diondre Overton’s death Saturday in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The university wrote: “The Clemson football team and the entire Clemson family mourn the passing of Clemson alumnus Diondre Overton. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Later in the day, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, who coached Overton from 2016-19, stopped by a plaque honoring the late wide receiver at Memorial Stadium and patted the monument before walking onto the field before the team’s game against Appalachian State, ESPN reported.

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Overton was Clemson’s captain and helped the team win two national championships during his college football career. According to ESPN, the Greensboro native caught seven touchdowns on 52 passes for 777 yards throughout his career.

After college, Overton went on to play professionally in the Canadian Football League, the European Football League, and the former United Football League, based in the United States.

According to ESPN, Overton’s former college teammate and current Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins also paid tribute to the late Clemson captain, writing on his Instagram Stories: “Brotha, I miss you already man. Love you 5L… I’m in a lot of pain right now. Rest easy, Big Play.”

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