Police make arrest in killing of Ex-Deep Creek football player

Huntington, W.Va., police made an arrest Sunday in the killing of a former Deep Creek High School football star early Saturday.
Donte D. Newsome, 25, died of multiple gunshot wounds at St. Mary's Medical Center in Huntington after an altercation outside a nightclub in Huntington, W.Va.. Two other men were also shot outside the Fluid nightclub at 3 a.m., but both have since been released from the hospital.

One of those men, Jerel Addison Garner, 26, was arrested in connection with Newsome's death after his release from the hospital Sunday. He is charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond, Huntington Police Chief Skip Holbrook told The Herald-Dispatch newspaper in Huntington.

Another man, a former Marshall University teammate of Newsome's, was treated and released Saturday. Police said it is unclear who shot Curtis Keyes, 24.

Police are looking for another man who they said was involved in the altercation.

Holbrook said Saturday that an argument started inside the club and was carried into the parking lot.

Newsome starred at Green Run High School in Virginia Beach for three years. Frustrated with losing seasons, he transferred to Deep Creek in Chesapeake for the 2001 season.

Deep Creek went 11-2 that year, reaching the state semi-finals. Newsome, who played linebacker and running back, rushed for 1,043 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.

"He was a model kid," said recently retired Deep Creek coach David Cox. "I wish I could've had four years with the kid. I'm glad I had one."

When Newsome came to Deep Creek, Cox recalled, Cox wanted to show the Green Run standout he'd have to earn his place. So Cox made him work out with the freshmen.

"He didn't stay there long," Cox said.

Cox showed his high esteem for Newsome by giving him the No. 2 jersey, the number once worn by Deep Creek star Deangelo Hall, who went on to play with Virginia Tech, then the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders.

"As a coach, you take a lot of pride in who you put in somebody else's number," Cox said. "He filled Deangelo's shoes as well as anybody could have."

Newsome graduated from Deep Creek to play at Division I football powerhouse Marshall University in Huntington. There, as at Deep Creek, he played on both offense and defense.

After Marshall, he played with the Huntington Heroes indoor football team. This year, he was playing for the Amarillo Dusters in the Arena Football 2 league. For the Dusters, he had scored 11 touchdowns in eight games.

"He was a team guy, not greedy... a great kid," said Cox, head coach at Deep Creek for 11 seasons. "That's what beats you up more than anything."