Former Indianapolis prep star and Vincennes University player Larretha “Lala” Draughon killed in shooting incident
From Vincennes University:
Vincennes University and its athletic department are saddened to learn that former VU Women’s Basketball player Larretha “Lala” Draughon was fatally wounded just after midnight this morning in an Indianapolis shooting incident that injured five other people.
According to an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department report, the incident occurred on Indianapolis’ far West Side. Police confirmed Draughon’s identity but were still investigating what caused a spree of gunshots to break out.
Draughon, 22, was a prep star at Indianapolis Northwest and was a freshman at VU in 2011-12. She played in 20 games for the Trailblazers last season and averaged 10.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest. Both figures were third on the team.
“We are all so saddened to hear of Larretha’s passing… it’s just a senseless loss of a young life,” said VU Women’s Basketball Coach and Athletic Director Harry Meeks. “Teammates and coaches become like families and try to be there for each other in both good and bad times. We wish very much that Larretha could have been with us instead of the location of this horrible incident.”
From the Indianapolis Star
Former Northwest High School basketball standout identified as Indianapolis shooting victim
Draughon’s short life was a study in ups and downs, much of which had been chronicled a year ago in a story in The Indianapolis Star.
In March 2011, Draughon was featured on the Oprah Winfrey show “Breaking Down the Bars”
In the end, it’s not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away
— Larretha Draughon (@D1_FreeBands) February 19, 2012
