Phil Urban Connecticut College basketball player shot dead while sitting in Mercedes car at Hopewell Valley Nature Preserve in NJ. Recently joined Post University on scholarship. No arrests.
A college basketball player was shot dead while sitting in a Mercedes vehicle at a New Jersey nature preserve over the weekend, authorities said.
Phil Urban, 20, who played college basketball for Post University in Connecticut, was found slouched over in his car late on Saturday evening.
The 6-foot-6, Manalapan native was shot around 7 p.m. Saturday at the Hopewell Valley Nature Preserve, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.
Police said they found him ‘slumped over’ in the driver’s seat of the luxury car, which was parked on a trail. It remained unclear as to the moments leading up to the player’s fatal shooting.
He was transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
WELCOME…Phil Urban. Phil is a 6’6 skilled wing from Manapalan NJ who can play multiple positions. We are excited about what Phil will add to our team both as a player and person. Welcome to the nest, Phil! #Signed 🦅🏀🟠🟣 @philurban0 @njpanthersboys @TPSBasketball pic.twitter.com/1xLy2UNLuy
— Post University Men’s Basketball (@Post_Eagles_MBB) April 28, 2022
Who had he come to meet?
Urban died from a gunshot wound, and his death is being investigated by homicide detectives. No arrests have been made.
The circumstances of his death remain unclear, but authorities said they believe he was planning to meet someone at the Hopewell park.
Urban recently joined the team at Post on a basketball scholarship, and the school welcomed him in an April tweet.
One of his former teams, the New Jersey Panthers, also wrote about him on Twitter in March, ‘The bouncy 6’6 wing has loads of potential and we can’t wait to see what he does at Post!’
The freshman forward played his first college basketball game for Post University in Connecticut last month.
‘The Post University community is heartbroken to learn of the death of freshman student, Philip Urban last night,’ Post University CEO and President John Hopkins said in a statement to New Jersey 101.5. ‘As a member of the Men’s basketball team and a Business Administration major, Philip modeled the attributes of leadership, commitment and hard work on the court and in the classroom.’
Tweeted an ex-coach, ‘This kid has dealt with a lot of adversity in the last year and if I told you how he handled it, you’d be proud too!
‘Super excited for Philly man— stayed humble, trusted the process and accomplished a goal!’
Authorities continue to investigate.
