Community mourns after former star athlete shot to death

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A former high school football captain is being mourned after a shooting in South St. Pete took his life. Police are trying to determine why 20-year-old Marquis Scott was targeted, and are looking for the shooter.

Thursday night, friends of Scott gathered at the intersection of Yale and Queensboro streets to pay tribute to their fallen friend. 

"His main goal was to make everyone smile and to make everybody laugh," said Northeast HS football coach Jeremy Frioud. "His smile was a big as his wingspan."

Indeed, Marquis was 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds.

He was shot Tuesday night while riding his bike.

Frioud was his mentor, often sitting in on his classes or checking on him at home, to try to keep him on the right track. Coach acknowledges it was a struggle, at times.

"Every time you would think he was done, Marquis would always bounce back and do something big," said Frioud. "That's why when someone like him passes, you lose a piece of your heart. And it doesn't come back."

Why was he shot? And by who? Police can't say if it's connected, but he was scheduled to give a deposition in the case of Sean Flournoy last month, but his father tells us that never happened.

Last November, police say Marquis was in the car when Flournoy shot someone he was trying to rob. 

Both Flournoy and Scott were charged.

"We don't know the motive, we have received a lot of community feedback," said St. Petersburg Police Assistant Chief Antonio Gilliam. "We are looking at every single tip. We are making sure we leave no stone unturned."

Coach Frioud is leading online fundraising efforts for the family, who he says is too devastated to speak to media. 

Frioud says Marquis was about to start an occupational training program, and mourns that he never got to show the world what he had shown those he knew best. 

For Friday night's game, everyone at the stadium is being asked to wear white.

"It (will be) a huge white spot so when Marquis is looking down he can smile and be happy we are taking care of him," said Frioud. "The kids will play as hard as they can in his memory."

This is the first time Northeast High has paid tribute in this fashion.

Part of the mural they're painting here tomorrow will say his nickname, Uno, because coach always considered him number one.

The coach set up a GoFundMe site, to help assist the family.

Editor's note: This version of the story has been updated to clarify that Marquis Scott was never actually deposed in the case of Sean Flournoy, though he was scheduled to.