23-year-old college football player stabbed to death
A wide receiver at the University of Waterloo in Ontario was stabbed to death over the weekend in what police called a “targeted attack.”
Police were called to a house in Kitchener on Saturday night and found Lam Diing, 23, bleeding from a stab wound in the neck. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died early Sunday morning.
Twenty-two-year-old Nicholas Salim Ndayisenga was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in Diing’s death, The Record newspaper of Waterloo reported. The two men new each other, according to police.
Ndayisenga made a brief court appearance Monday afternoon. He “frequently bowed his head … and at one point was given a facial tissue,” The Record reported.
Diing moved to Canada from his war-torn homeland of Sudan for the chance at a better life.
“He worked so hard to get into Waterloo and he worked so hard to stay in,” Diing’s friend Nial Both, also from Sudan, told The Record. “He didn’t have an easy ride, he had his ups and downs in school, but he kept smiling and he kept grinding.”
I’ve wanted to post something thoughtful about the loss of @WlooWarriors REC Lam Diing for a couple days but can’t find the words. I’ll let his smile do the talking #USports #CFL pic.twitter.com/3v8mnmHWpW
— 🇨🇦 Marshall Ferguson 🏈 (@TSN_Marsh) April 17, 2018
His death sent shock waves through the campus and the community.
“The connection Lam had to many of his fellow student-athletes and coaches is why this is devastating to so many of us,” said Roly Webster, director of athletics and recreation at Waterloo, said in a statement. “We will now need to draw on the collective strength of the Warrior family to support each other as we grieve this loss.”
“Lam was a tremendous student athlete who made those around him better with his work ethic and glowing smile,” added Warriors head coach Chris Bertoia. “The Waterloo football family expresses our deepest sympathies to those who knew Lam, who will be forever missed on and off the field.”
We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our own, Lam Diing.
May you Rest in Peace Lam. #ForeverAWarrior 🖤💛🏈
Official Statement: https://t.co/2CCs7iSwzW pic.twitter.com/2zgzP6n3QZ
— Waterloo Warriors (@WlooWarriors) April 16, 2018
A GoFundMe page was set up to help pay for his funeral costs, and it had more than doubled its goal of $8,000 by Monday morning.
Diing, who was in his third year at Waterloo, caught seven passes for 89 yards and a touchdown last season.
He was invited to the CFL’s Ontario regional combine in March. The league’s commissioner, Randy Ambrosie, offered his sympathies Monday.
Saddened to hear today of the death of Lam Diing, an @UWaterloo football player who had been invited to our ONT Regional Combine. The sudden loss of one so young is a tragedy for his community, teammates and most of all, his family & friends. Our sympathies are with them.
— Randy Ambrosie (@RandyAmbrosie) April 16, 2018
Others also expressed their grief on social media.
https://twitter.com/zmartin107/status/985634954242674689
RIP lam diing. We know you will be watching over your warrior brothers from the sideline pic.twitter.com/fpkv5Q7Ln4
— corey metz (@matrix37) April 16, 2018
We are incredibly saddened and heartbroken to learn of the tragic unexpected passing of a member of our Preds family Lam Diing. Our varsity team will be retiring Lam's #7 this season in honour of our former team mate and brother.
RIP Lam. Sincere condolences to the Diing Family pic.twitter.com/6FgdVGV4G6— Waterloo Jr Warriors Football (@Wloo_JrWarriors) April 16, 2018
Diing’s death was the Waterloo Region’s first homicide of the year, according to The Record.
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