Basketball player injured in shooting

HOUSTON – He was a Fort Bend County high school basketball standout with hoop dreams that included a possible career in the pros. But the athlete's chance at a promising career was dashed by an act of violence.

Kem Nweke was just days away from heading overseas to play professional ball when he was shot several times in Wharton. Nweke said he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I didn't know what was going on, but I knew it was real," Nweke said.

He said he was waiting for a friend to pick him up after dropping his car off at a Wharton apartment complex for a mechanic to work on it when gunshots rang out.

"It went from me being on Facebook to hearing loud shots of an AK -- boom, boom, boom. It was the loudest sound I've ever heard in my life," he said. "I was shot twice in my hand twice in my leg and twice in my back."

Police said the incident stemmed from an earlier argument.

Nweke said he did not know the shooter and wasn't the target.

"I've never been involved in gang activity, I have a clean record, upstanding citizen," said Nweke. "Wrong place, wrong time. That's the best way to explain it."

"He's one of the special ones," said his former coach, Gary Nichols.

Nichols coached Nweke at Thurgood Marshall High School and has known him since he was in the sixth grade.

"When I heard about this, it was really devastating to me," said Nichols. "If you still love to play, you can make money playing, and he was doing that and still trying to get to his ultimate goal."

"I also had a contract to go overseas in two days that I was contemplating taking," said Nweke. "It went from me possibly getting better jobs and being in the NBA to me missing a finger. I have a hole in my leg and the bullet lodged in my hip that I can't get out."

Nweke has a long road to recovery, but is still hopeful he will achieve his basketball dreams.

Wharton police arrested Kenneth Wilson, 30, and charged him with three counts of aggravated assault. He is out of jail on bond.

Detectives said their investigation of this case is ongoing.

There is a GoFundMe account set up to help with Nweke's medical expenses.