Pata was shot in back of head, friend says
Miami defensive tackle was walking away from argument in parking lot
J.c Ridley / APUniversity of Miami's Bryan Pata was shot and killed Tuesday night at his apartment complex hours after practice.
msnbc.com news services
updated 3:10 p.m. ET Nov. 11, 2006
University of Miami defensive tackle Bryan Pata died after being shot in the back of the head after he walked away from an argument with an unknown man in the parking lot of his apartment complex Tuesday night, according to what a family friend told The Palm Beach Post.
“He walked away from that, and the guy still put a bullet in the back of his head,” Adrenia Lynes said Thursday. “He was going to kill him all along.”
Lynes’ son, Kahane Andrew Lynes, is married to one of Pata’s sisters.
Kahane Lynes bought Pata an SUV when he couldn’t afford a car, the Post said.
If any of his grieving players asked, Miami coach Larry Coker would have quickly excused them from the Hurricanes’ first practice since the killing of Pata. Everyone showed up, though. And with that, the Hurricanes’ long healing process began.
Less than 24 hours after Pata, one of the Hurricanes’ most-respected players, was killed outside his apartment, his team was back on the football field Wednesday afternoon to prepare for Saturday’s game at No. 23 Maryland. The Hurricanes have decided to play the game, saying they’ll do so in Pata’s honor.
“They felt like Bryan would want to practice. They felt like Bryan would want to play,” Coker said after practice. “That’s a decision that we respected, and I think it’s the right decision.”
Pata, 22, was shot to death Tuesday night outside his off-campus apartment, less than two hours after practice and an informal team dinner ended. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive lineman was found dead in the apartment complex’s parking lot when police arrived, and detectives ruled it a homicide.
Det. Roy Rutland, spokesman for the Miami-Dade County Police Department, said police searched Pata’s apartment after the shooting. He would not provide any details about what officers sought and what was found. No other details were released.
“The investigators are following all leads, and the release of any information at this time could compromise the investigation,” Rutland said Wednesday.
Miami players were not available for comment after practice. They walked off the field nearly in total silence, with some peeling off their orange, green and white jerseys before shuffling into the locker room.
They have dealt with plenty of problems this season, including a July shooting in which safety Willie Cooper was slightly injured and a sideline-clearing brawl last month in a game against Florida International.
“It’s spiritual, but God’s not going to give you more than you can handle,” Coker said. “And I’m just disappointed that he trusts us so much, because we’ve been getting a lot to handle.”
Some former Hurricanes expressed shock and outrage over Pata’s killing.
“It’s a product of ignorant individuals and stupid people who don’t care about life,” said Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Jerome McDougle, a former UM standout and a South Florida native who was shot in the stomach by three armed robbers in southwest Miami in July 2005. “It’s tragic. I feel for him and his family.”
Added Washington wide receiver Santana Moss, another UM alum: “He is a guy that had a promising future, and it was taken away from him.”
Well-wishes also poured in from around the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Commissioner John Swofford released a statement offering prayers to Pata’s family and the UM community, while many of the league’s players and coaches expressed their condolences to Coker and the Hurricanes.
“I was a little shocked,” Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan said. “I wish all those guys the best down there, and hopefully they handle that as well as they can.”
In his fourth year with Miami, Pata was expected to be chosen in the upcoming NFL draft. He appeared in 41 games, making 23 starts, and had 13 tackles and two sacks this season while helping lead one of the nation’s top defenses against the run.
The Hurricanes will play the remainder of this season with “95” decals — Pata’s number — on their helmets. More tributes are planned, Coker said, and an on-campus memorial service is scheduled for noon on Nov. 15.
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