By Chris O’Grady

The University of Louisville athletic community was shocked and saddened on Thursday, Sept. 16. Around 2:30 a.m., 23-year-old former Cardinal safety Daniel Covington was shot and killed.

Adding to the confusion and grief was another discovery that came in the aftermath of the shooting. The shooter was another former Cardinal athlete, former outfielder Isaiah Howes. Howes was a member of U of L’s 2007 team that advanced to the College World Series.

Covington was shot twice, once in the left arm and once in the torso. He was pronounced dead shortly after he was taken to University Hospital. The shooting occurred between South Second Street and West Liberty Street. According to investigators, Howes seemed to be acting in self defense and is not being charged as of now.

Since the event, students, fans and athletes have expressed their grief on social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook. Many pages now read “R.I.P. Daniel Covington” and other expressions of sorrow and disbelief.

“It’s definitely upsetting to those who follow Cardinal sports,” said Seth Kline, a junior psychology major. “It just seems a little like pointless violence. It reminds you of the events at Connecticut last year, except these guys came from the same school. It’s just so upsetting.”

Even those who hadn’t been following the news felt touched by the events.

“I hadn’t really heard much about Covington, but a lot of my friends were deeply saddened,” said Ayanna Jones, a sophomore biology major. “It seems like this kind of thing happens too frequently.”

Lt. Barry Wilkerson of the Louisville Metro Police Department reported to The Courier-Journal that Covington approached a car carrying two men, Howes and his brother, and began attacking them. Howes, the driver, then fired a shot, which went through the hand of his brother and hit Covington in the torso. Covington stumbled about a block before collapsing.

Howes then sped off, searching for help for his brother, eventually finding a policeman at 600 Floyd Street. Howes’ brother was in stable condition, but both brothers had wounds on their faces.

These events have left many within the Cardinal athletics community searching for answers. In a statement released on Thursday, Sept. 16, Tom Jurich, U of L athletic director, summed up the confusion of many.

“We are all shocked and deeply saddened to learn of this tragic event,” said Jurich. “It is very painful to see this happen to a member of our athletic family. We want to extend our deepest sympathies to Daniel’s family and friends.”

Covington attended high school at Lexington’s Tates Creek High School and played for the Cardinals from 2005 to 2009. He was originally a walk-on player, but earned a scholarship from former head coach Steve Kragthorpe in 2008, a season in which he registered 66 tackles. Covington appeared in 22 games in his career at U of L.

Howes graduated from Louisville’s Pleasure Ridge Park High School and played for the U of L baseball team from 2004 to 2007. He started in the outfield for the team that advanced to the 2007 College World Series. Howes played one season of minor league baseball, in 2007, for the New York Yankees’ Single-A affiliate in Staten Island. He is a week away from his 26th birthday.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reported another twist in the story. Covington’s brother, Virgil Covington, III, and his wife welcomed a baby girl into their family just hours after Daniel Covington died. The baby’s middle name, Danielle, was in honor of the former Cardinal.

Those who were close to Covington and Howes regarded them as upstanding young men. This makes the situation even more difficult for many to understand.

U of L team chaplain Chris Morgan, interviewed by WAVE 3 television, said several former players have called him, expressing disbelief that Covington was involved. He spoke about the character of both men.

“That’s why it makes this situation even harder, because both of these guys are class-act people,” said Morgan. “You want Isaiah on your team. You want Daniel Covington on your team. You want them in your home. That’s why all this is out of character.”

Covington’s sister, Rebecca Covington, told the Lexington Herald-Leader that the family was shocked and searching for answers.

“We’re not drowning in sorrow,” said Rebecca Covington. “We’re in disbelief. But we’re in belief that God is in control. We have moments, but we’re OK. He was just such a hard worker. Everything he did, he did 100 percent. I was really proud of him. I can’t believe I’m talking in the past tense. He was the life of every situation he was in. His spirit was so much bigger than himself. He was amazing.”

Many on the 2010 Cardinal football team played with Covington during his time at U of L. They found themselves looking for the same answers as everyone else. Junior tight end Josh Chichester said on his Twitter page that he talked to Covington just hours before his death.

“The team has lost a brother,” said senior wide receiver Doug Beaumont on his Twitter. “He will be missed.” Beaumont stressed that everyone needed to remember the fond memories they had of Covington.

Morgan said that while players search for answers, all he can do is point them to Scripture. And he believes this will bring the team closer together.

“They’re shocked,” said Morgan to WAVE 3. “They don’t know what to say. I’ve had a couple of people say they were going to practice today like number 30 [Covington’s number], or they’re going to play this weekend for number 30. But, as Daniel’s sister said the other day, we have to trust God and not let this tear this family apart, because this U of L family is a close-knit group.”

But Morgan said this year’s team was in especially good hands under head coach Charlie Strong, who he said will surely use the tragedy as a teaching point for the team. Strong has undergone a campaign to promote character among the team since his hiring.

“Coach Strong does a great job of making the guys come in and try to pull the good out of it and also yet still teach a lesson that there’s nothing good going on at 2:30 in the morning – that you watch what you do and watch where you’re at,” Morgan said to WAVE 3.

Covington’s funeral will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 11 a.m. at the family’s home church in Lexington. Current and former players have been invited to attend the services in their jerseys.