An 18-year-old Ocoee High School senior was killed in a shooting that left three others injured, according to the Orlando Police Department.
Authorities said Dexter Rentz Jr. died in the shooting, which was reported late Saturday near Elese Street and Deerock Drive in Orlando.
According to Orlando police, several 911 calls reported gunfire and officers in the area also heard gunshots.
Officers said they watched two vehicles drive away from the area and pursued both. Rentz was found suffering from a gunshot wound in one of the cars and taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center, were he was pronounced dead, police said.
The second vehicle was not connected to the investigation, according to police.
“A vehicle pursuit did ensue, however, detectives do not believe it is related to the homicide,” officers said.
The three other victims were taken to ORMC and AdventHealth. One victim is in serious condition but expected to survive, investigators said.
The names and ages of the other shooting victims have not been released because an investigation is ongoing, police said. Investigators are working to gather evidence, including video and witness testimony.
No suspect description was available Sunday. Detectives did not say if the shooter(s) was in a vehicle.
Investigators do not believe the shooting was random but are not sure who was the specific target.
Rentz had signed a football scholarship in December with the University of Louisville.
As a sophomore in 2017, he set a state record when he intercepted five passes in a single game. In a radio interview last year, he said his goal was to grow as a leader and help other "young guys see that there’s more to it than football.”
An outpouring of grief on social media paid tribute to Rentz, who was looking forward to becoming a Louisville Cardinal as a wide receiver.
“Found out one of the players I know lost his life tonight,” Aaron Jones, a local trainer, wrote in a post. “Feeling really pained right now. Violence in Orlando taking too many lives.”
Louisville’s head football coach, Scott Satterfield, lamented his death in a statement Sunday that described Rentz as “a great young man who had a contagious personality.”
🙏🏼 @DexterRentz pic.twitter.com/6jWlxBeSD8
— Coach Satterfield (@CoachSattUofL) April 26, 2020
When he announced some of his new recruits in February, Cardinals assistant coach Gunter Brewer called Rentz “a great kid” whom he looked forward to coaching, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Ocoee High School wants students to know if they need to talk to someone about this incident to call Orange County Public School’s mental health service at 407-317-3694.
Authorities are offering a $5,000 Crimeline reward for information leading to an arrest. Tipsters can call Crimeline at 800-423-8477 with information about the case and remain anonymous.