NBA Star Zach Randolph's Brother Roger Shot Dead Outside Hometown Bar

The brother of NBA star Zach Randolph was shot dead Saturday morning outside a bar in their Indiana hometown. 

Roger Lee Randolph was found dead just before 5 a.m. Saturday in Marion, where the brothers grew up playing basketball together, according to the Marion Police Department. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Marion officer on patrol near the bar, Hop’s Blues Room, first heard the shots fired and responded. He found Randolph lying on the ground between two vehicles outside of the bar, police said.

A preliminary investigation determined that the shooting occurred “just outside” of an entrance, police said. Officers found multiple shell casings from two different caliber weapons on the scene. 

Police said at least 25 people were inside Hop’s Blues Room at the time of the killing, but witnesses where reluctant to cooperate with the investigation, making it difficult for investigators to learn more, according to the Indianapolis Star.

On Saturday night, once police finished processing the crime scene and left, someone set fire to Hop’s Blues Room, according to the Associated Press. Police did not say whether Randolph's killing and the fire were related. 

As of Monday morning, no one has been arrested or named. An autopsy will be performed at the Northeast Indiana Forensic Center.

Randolph's brother Zach Randolph, Roger’s brother is a two-time NBA all-star and star forward of the Sacramento Kings who graduated from Marion High School, where he was a stand-out player. He made his NBA debut in 2001, playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, the New York Knicks, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies before joining Sacramento in 2017.

Kings General Manager Vlade Divac called Randolph’s death “tragic” on Saturday, saying that “our prayers, heartfelt condolences and thoughts are with Zach and his family during this painful and difficult time. The Grizzlies tweeted support for Randolph and his family. 

Zach Randoplh himself has not yet made a public statement about his brother's murder.

Roger Randolph was also a stand-out player in high school, but he got in trouble and was kicked off the team, according to the Associated Press,  In 2005, he was sentenced the three years in prison for shooting and wounding three people in a Indiana nighclub.

The shooting stemmed from an argument that started on a dancefloor, the Associated Press said. 

[Photo: Getty]