A University of Massachusetts Dartmouth freshman running back was fatally stabbed early Saturday in a Wendy’s parking lot after an altercation tied to a nearby nightclub, police and university officials said.
Marvins Antoine, 18, of Boston, was stabbed in the chest about 12:30 a.m. in the Wendy’s parking lot on Charles Street and was pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital, according to Providence police and local news reports. A 19-year-old teammate, Kensley Macean, was stabbed in the head and neck and treated for injuries police described as not life-threatening.
Both men were first-year members of the UMass Dartmouth football team and had been at Mezzo Lounge, across the street from the restaurant, with other teammates Friday night, police said.
Providence Police Major David Lapatin said the club appeared overcrowded and staff stopped admitting additional patrons. A fight then broke out, and the violence spilled into the parking lot, he told WPRI.
Police spokeswoman Kristy dosReis said officers responded to the Wendy’s lot on Charles Street around 12:30 a.m. Two men were found with stab wounds. Antoine was taken to Rhode Island Hospital and later pronounced dead. Macean was also taken there for treatment.
A suspect was in custody Saturday and being held by UMass Dartmouth police, authorities said. Investigators had not publicly detailed what started the confrontation or released a complete sequence of events. The investigation remained active.
Dartmouth, Massachusetts, and Providence are about a 30-minute drive apart.
UMass Dartmouth identified Antoine as the student who died. Ryan C. Merrill, the school’s assistant vice chancellor of strategic communications and media relations, said in a statement: “The entire UMass Dartmouth community mourns the loss of Marvins Antoine. We extend our thoughts and prayers to Marvins’ family and friends during this difficult time.”
Chancellor Mark A. Fuller told the campus community that officials had “no reason to believe there is any ongoing threat” at the university and that counseling resources were available. He also wished Macean a recovery and said he hoped the injured student could resume his studies. Because the case was under investigation, Fuller said the university would not release further details.
The football program issued its own message, saying it was “heartbroken” that a first-year student and teammate had died after the incident in Providence.
