ORLANDO, Fla. (WESH) — Shaquille O’Neal told ESPN that he plans to pay for the funeral of an Ocoee High School football star who was gunned down Saturday night in Orlando.
Orlando police say Dexter Rentz Jr. was the only one killed when four people were shot in a crime called in to authorities shortly after 11 p.m.
The senior wide receiver planned to play for Louisville next season.
According to a report from ESPN, O’Neal saw a news report about the shooting and reached out to Rentz’s family.
“He was on his way, he really was,” O’Neal told ESPN. “I don’t know what it feels like to lose a son, but I know what it feels like to lose someone.”
Rentz Jr. was the only one killed when four people were shot in a crime called in to authorities shortly after 11 p.m.
As a sophomore in 2017, he set a state record when he intercepted five passes in a single game.
In a radio interview last year, he said his goal was to grow as a leader and help other “young guys see that there’s more to it than football.”
O’Neal began his career with the Orlando Magic and still has a home in the Orlando-area.
