A former Hoboken High School football and basketball player was shot and killed outside a city housing authority building late Sunday night.
Damon “Nunu” Murray, 21, who graduated in 2020 after a decorated career as a wide receiver and defensive back, was shot in the abdomen outside 320 Marshall Dr. at 11:30 p.m. He was taken to Jersey City Medical Center. . Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said the man was pronounced dead early Monday morning.
In his senior season at Hoboken High School, Murray had four touchdown receptions as a receiver, but he made his mark at cornerback, where he intercepted five passes. He and teammate Nijon Freeman committed to Rutgers University as walk-ons in April 2020.
He joined the team as a preferred walk-on after his senior season, but left the program after one semester. He hasn't played in a game and hasn't been with the school in three years.
“I can't believe I would put RIP next to my brother's name,” Freeman, Murray's friend since sixth grade, said in an Instagram post. “The hurt I feel right now is unparalleled. It wasn't supposed to be like this, my family. I can't believe you took everything from me, my daughter, my heart, my right hand, everything. There is nothing in this world that can solve my current pain.
Murray also played basketball at Hoboken High School.
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Barra said in a post on X that he was “deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Damon Murray, a respected and outstanding athlete who gave back to Hoboken's youth and community at large. It's sad.'' “Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends at this difficult time. May his memory live on in all who knew him.”
The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Unit and the Hoboken Police Department are actively investigating the shooting. No arrests have been made at this time.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office at 201-915-1345 or leave an anonymous tip at http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/. All information will be treated as confidential.
New Jersey Advance Media sportswriter Brian Fonseca contributed to this report.
