Texas High School Football Standout Killed

Saturday, August 25th 2007, 8:23 pm

By: News On 6

HOUSTON (AP) _ A Texas high school football standout who orally committed to play at Oklahoma next year was fatally shot with a rifle after getting into a fight at an apartment complex, authorities said.

Police arrested a 19-year-old Louisiana man and charged him with murder.

Herman Mitchell, 17, died Friday of multiple gun shot wounds, Harris County Sheriff's Lt. John Martin said. He was gunned down hours before his teammates at Westfield High School were to play in a scrimmage.

The 6-foot, 200-pound senior linebacker had accepted a scholarship offer to play for Oklahoma.

Emile ``Rusty'' Lewis was taken into custody after the shooting. He was being held in a Harris County jail on $50,000 bond as of late Saturday.

Witnesses reported Mitchell and another teen were fighting in the parking lot before the shooting, Martin said.

``Evidently, they separated and one came back a short time later with a rifle and fired multiple times,'' Martin told the Houston Chronicle in online editions.

Oklahoma head football coach Bob Stoops was ``stunned'' by the news of Mitchell's death, school spokesman Kenny Mossman told the newspaper.

Mitchell helped lead Westfield to a 13-1 record and the state semifinals last season.