New Year’s bar fight leads to fatal shooting of Kansas college football player, cops say

A 22-year-old college football player was fatally shot as a New Year’s Day bar fight spilled into a parking lot, Oklahoma police say.

The shooting happened just after midnight after several people were kicked out of Sunset Patio Lounge in Oklahoma City, police said.

The argument continued in the parking lot, leading to shots fired, according to the Oklahoma City Police Department. Five people were shot, including 22-year-old Daniel Howard.

Howard, a junior who played football for Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The other four gunshot victims were taken to hospitals. No arrests have been made, police said in the Jan. 3 news release.

Fort Hays State head football coach Chris Brown said the program was “deeply saddened” about Howard’s death.

“We are so grateful to have been a part of his life and he will be missed greatly and remembered forever,” Brown said. “Daniel was a tremendous teammate, a loving, caring, and supportive individual. He had a great personality and infectious smile. Daniel truly loved his Tiger football family.”

Howard transferred to Fort Hays State from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, where he was a two-time all-conference performer. He was a member of two state championship teams at Millwood High School in Oklahoma City.

“On behalf of the NEO football family, our thoughts are prayers are with Daniel’s family, friends and teammates during this extremely difficult time,” Northeastern Oklahoma A&M head coach Zach Crissup said in a Twitter post. “We love you Danny!”

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Oklahoma City police at 405-297-1200.

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