Police found the 21-year-old former mat star in the area of 205 West Buck Street in Paulsboro after he had apparently been shot just before 7 p.m. Saturday night, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Davontae RandallPolice believe Randall may have been involved in a fight with the shooter beforehand, and that the two knew each other.
"We do not believe it was a random act. We do not believe there is any imminent danger to the community. We are aggressively investigating this homicide and we are doing everything possible to bring justice to the individual who carried out this act of senseless violence," Gloucester County Prosecutor Charles A. Fiore said.
An autopsy conducted the following day found that the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death was homicide.
In addition to placing sixth at the New Jersey state wrestling championships in 2015, Randall was a two-time district champion, and earned a pair of first-place finishes at both the Vogeding Tournament and the Mustang Classic. In addition, the wrestler affectionately known as "Bump" compiled a 110-52 overall record at Paulsboro. For these accomplishments, Randall was named Colonial Conference Wrestler of the Year by media website NJ.com in 2015.
Randall's wrestling coach at Paulsboro, South Jersey's all-time wins leader Paul Morina, told NJ.com, "Davontae was always a good kid, a polite young man. You know, he was always respectful, never really had any issues."
Juan Rivera, a former wrestling teammate of Randall's from Paulsboro High School, said, "He just always wanted to see people succeed, not only just in sports, but in life as well," Rivera told NJ.com.
"He was loved by all. That's why this community is so heartbroken about his loss," he said.
Investigators believe there are witnesses who may help solve this crime. Anyone with information on the murder of Davontae Randall are urged to contact Det. Michael Bielski of the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office at 856-649-9716 or Det. Michael Minniti of the Paulsboro Police Department at 609-352-3919.
Information can also be e-mailed to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office at tips@co.gloucester.nj.us.
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