Florida High School Football Star Shot to Death After Dispute over Video Game

He was drawing the interest of multiple college programs and his future looked promising, but a dispute over the result of a video game tragically robbed a Florida high school football player of what could have been.

Joshua Ancrum, three-star football recruit from Miami Norland High School with multiple offers from Division I programs, was shot and killed Tuesday night after an argument over a video game at a friend’s house.

According to NBC 6 in Miami:

The shooting happened around 2 p.m. in the 3400 block of Northwest 207th Street, police said. Ancrum was airlifted to the hospital, where he died.

Police said Ancrum was visiting friends at the home when the shooting happened. After interviewing witnesses, a shooter was identified and arrested, officials said. Police said the 16-year-old suspect, whose name wasn’t released, is charged with aggravated manslaughter.

‘There is no one at large associated with this incident. The shooting is an isolated incident and the apparent product of gunplay amongst associates,’ police said in a statement.

Ancrum’s mother, Lisa Alvarez, says that the 17-year-old had worked since the age of three to become one of the best corners in the region. A goal that he certainly achieved before his untimely death.

“He told me three days ago before he passed, ‘I’m going to make you proud. I’m going to make you so proud,’ because he was always doing it for me and his sisters and brothers,” Alvarez said.

Josh’s team posted a note expressing their sorrow at his passing on Twitter:

Today we are saddened to find out about the passing of one of our current players. Josh, you’re funny and charismatic attitude will forever live in our hearts. You will never be forgotten and will be missed🕊 LLJA pic.twitter.com/eKiVbY0g3v

— SFE (@SouthFLExpress) May 21, 2019

One memory of Ancrum stands out to his mother more than most.

“He was playing against the best team and he caught a pick. He caught the winning pick,” she remembered. “The underdogs. He played for the underdogs. He smiled. He said, ‘Mom, you see that pick? I told you I got this.’ You know what I told him? ‘Boy, you ain’t do nothing, you still got more work to do.'”

Police have not released any further details on the shooting, NBC 6 reports.

Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn