Former college basketball star Andre Emmettt killed in shooting; suspects still at-large

Former college basketball star Andre Emmett was shot and killed outside his home in Dallas in the early morning hours of Monday.

Emmett, who starred at Texas Tech under legendary head coach Bob Knight, was approached by two unidentified men while he sat in his car in northeast Dallas, police said. The two men, at least one of whom displayed a handgun, got into an altercation with Emmett, who got out of his car and attempted to flee, according to police.

He was shot to death a few hundred feet from his home and found by a passerby in the street.

Emmett was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

"He touched a lot of people's lives, a lot of people's hearts, and a lot of people looked up to him," Sasha Emmett, Andre's sister, told Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA. "We're all in shock right now. It's unbelievable. We can't accept it."

The 37-year-old played for Texas Tech from 2000 to 2004 and was a second-team All-American in his senior season when he averaged 20.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Emmett is the school's all-time leading scorer (2,256 points).

He made the Big 12 first team his last three seasons in college.

Emmett, who was a 6-foot-6 wing player, was the 35th overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft, but never caught on as a regular in the league. He played briefly with the Memphis Grizzlies and then-New Jersey Nets, as well as long stints in the D-League. He spent time playing overseas in Lithuania, Belgium, France and China.

He had just found a measure of stardom, despite his age, in the Big 3 basketball league.

The Big 3 basketball league, a 3-on-3 league founded by hip hop star Ice Cube in 2017, also sent its condolences in the wake of the shooting. Emmett had been playing for the team 3's Company for the past two seasons and was the league's second-highest scorer -- behind only longtime NBA star Joe Johnson -- in 2019. The team was the league's runner-up in 2018.

"We are simply heartbroken by this devastating loss. Our thoughts are with Andre’s family and friends during this difficult time," the league said on Twitter.

Emmett was fourth in the league in scoring and assists and second in steals in 2018.

Police said they are looking for a white Chrysler 300 seen fleeing the scene of the shooting. A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered in the case.