Former classmates and teachers of Manuel Luis, 19, gathered Thursday night at Parkdale High School, in Prince George鈥檚 County, to remember the student and teammate who was shot to death early Thursday in what the Baltimore police are calling a botched robbery outside his student apartment at Morgan State University.
Luis, a Hyattsville native, played baseball at Parkdale, and athletic director Brian Moore said he last saw Luis a couple of months ago, when he returned to cheer on his former team in the playoffs. Luis was wearing an old varsity letterman jacket on a hot day in May 鈥� a jacket Moore said he gave to Luis for all the help he provided over the years.
鈥淗e was a baseball player,鈥� said Moore, 鈥渂ut aside from baseball he kind of wanted to be by me and do the sort of day to day operations that an athletic director would have to do. He kind of took it upon himself to proclaim him the 鈥榮tudent athletic director鈥�.鈥�
He added, 鈥淗e was just that type of kid who was just helpful. Always had a big smile on his face. He was in the SGA and I鈥檓 sure if you polled any of the teachers I鈥檓 sure he was the same way in the classroom.鈥�
The Parkdale baseball program mourns the loss of our brother Manuel Luis C/O 18, who was taken from us this morning prayers to Manny鈥檚 family and friends R.I.P. Manny the Mayor of Parkdale Baseball
— Parkdale HS Baseball (@PHS_Beisbol)
Today it鈥檚 with great sadness that we鈥檙e mourning the loss of a great leader, advocate, student, and most importantly a fellow panther. Our heart goes out to the Luis family as well as every single person Manuel鈥檚 soul touched. Gone but never forgotten. R.I.P🕊❤️
— Parkdale SGA (@ParkdaleSGA)
Luis was, in Moore鈥檚 words, 鈥渢he perfect definition of a student-athlete.鈥� He was also enrolled at Prince George鈥檚 Community College, and Moore said Luis would sometimes have to skip baseball games because of classes. 鈥淗e kind of had to jostle all those outside activities and be a part of an athletic team as well.鈥�
Moore met with some of Luis鈥� former teammates and coaches Thursday night at school for what he described as a 鈥渉eavy conversation鈥� as they remembered their former teammate.
鈥淗e鈥檚 one of a kind.聽You don鈥檛 come across very many Mannys like that,鈥� said Moore.聽鈥淗e was all in for the team; he was all in for his coaches, he was all in for Parkdale. He was just an excellent kid. That鈥檚 how I would like to remember him.鈥�
Morgan State officials said Luis was studying business. His car was found outside the security gates of his off-campus student apartment with at least three bullet holes in the doors and windows. Luis was found inside with gunshot wounds to his upper body.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
