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Former Colorado Buffaloes and NFL defensive back T.J. Cunningham has died at the age of 46 after being fatality shot and succumbing to his injuries.
According to the Arapahoe County sheriff's office, Cunningham and his neighbor who was identified as 31-year-old Marcus Johnson, agreed to meet at Eaglecrest High School in Aurora, Colorado to settle a dispute over a parking space on Sunday Morning.
During the course of the argument, Johnson shot Cunningham multiple times before returning home to call 9-1-1. The suspect was immediately arrested after deputies responded to the call. Johnson faces a first-degree murder charge and will appear in court on Tuesday.
Cunningham played cornerback at CU from 1992 to 1995. He was a sixth round selection for the Seattle Seahawks in the 1996 NFL Draft. The former Buffs' career in Seattle was cut short after one season due to injury.
Cunningham returned to his alma mater as a teacher and assistant football coach at Overland High school before taking similar roles at Grandview High School. He was also the assistant principal at Hinckley High School.
The University of Colorado released a statement from athletic director Rick George on the tragic murder of Cunningham.
T.J. Cunningham was a tremendous part of the CU community and touched countless others beyond Boulder
— Colorado Buffaloes (@cubuffs) February 18, 2019
“We were deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the death of T.J. Cunningham. He was a good family man and had a strong passion for working with young people." pic.twitter.com/LKsgivdQ81
A GoFundMe page has been setup to help support Cunningham's wife and five children.
T.J. was a friend, coach, mentor, leader, devoted father and husband. He was loved by anyone he came in contact with. The darkness of him being taken prematurely by a senseless act of violence will never compare to his extremely bright personality. I along with many others will miss him dearly.