ORLANDO, Fla. — Former Orlando Magic and Michigan State Spartans forward Adreian Payne was shot to death at a home in Orange County, Florida early Monday.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office said deputies went to a home on Egret Shores Drive around 1:30 a.m. Monday. Deputies were told one man shot another man and neighbors told Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV they heard, "one gunshot and crying afterward."
The Orange County Sheriff's Office said investigators identified the victim as Payne, 31, and later identified the shooter as 29-year-old Lawrence Dority. He was arrested on a warrant for first-degree murder and taken to the Orange County jail.
Payne was a native of Ohio and played for the Spartans from 2010-2014 before playing four seasons in the NBA. One of his biggest legacies was his friendship with a young girl with cancer named Lacey Holsworth.
The 8-year-old girl was around the Spartans during the 2013-2014 season, the Detroit Free Press reported. Payne held her up to cut down the nets after the team won a Big Ten championship. Michigan State made it to the Elite Eight that season before losing to UConn. Holsworth passed away a week later and Payne paid tribute to her with his teammates, the Free Press reported.
