LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- A New Mexico State University football player who was set to be one of the Aggies starting middle linebackers this season has died.
Shana Leaupepe, 21, died Friday in Long Beach, Calif., as a result of a drive-by shooting, NMSU head football coach Hal Mumme said Saturday.
Leaupepe was visiting family in California when he was killed, Mumme said.
"Shana was an outstanding young man, and we are shocked that this has happened," Mumme said in a news release. "Shana was a wonderful friend and teammate, and our hearts go out to his family. We've lost a special young man whose time at New Mexico State left a lasting mark on our coaches, players and staff."
Leaupepe was the leading tackler in 2004 for the Oilers of West Los Angeles College. With 56 tackles, he led his team to a 7-3 mark and a conference championship. In his two years at the college, he tallied more than 100 tackles and was named an all-Conference selection twice.
In high school, Leaupepe played middle linebacker for the Samoana High School Sharks in the Utulei Village of American Samoa. In 2003, he helped his team to an 8-2 record and a second place finish in the conference.
Leaupepe had planned to major in sociology at NMSU, according to the school's Web site.
Mumme said Leaupepe will be buried in American Samoa. The funeral date and time have not been set.
