Missouri Dad Shoots Son's Football Coach Over Playing Time

A Missouri youth football practice turned into a scene of violence when a father, angry over his son's playing time, shot the team's coach five times. The October 2023 shooting left volunteer coach Shaquille Latimore critically injured and landed 45-year-old Daryl Clemmons behind bars. In March 2025, Clemmons was sentenced to 13 years in prison for the attack. But for the young players who witnessed the shooting, the trauma is far from over. 

Shots Fired at a Youth Football Practice

Clemmons, a former coach for the team, confronted Latimore near the St. Louis practice field where a group of 9- and 10-year-olds were playing. Prosecutors say Clemmons was upset that his son wasn't getting enough time on the field and decided to settle the dispute with violence.

Both men were armed, but Latimore attempted to de-escalate the situation by handing his gun to a friend, telling Clemmons they should fight with fists instead. Clemmons refused and instead pulled out his gun and shot Latimore five times.

'I Told You I Was Going to Pop Your [Expletive]'

According to the New York Post, Latimore later described the terrifying moment to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch saying, "I didn't see his gun until it was already too late. I ran, and he shot me in the back. I fell, and he shot me a couple more times."

He also recalled Clemmons taunting him as he lay injured, according to the same outlets. "After he shot me, he was like ... 'I told you I was going to pop your [expletive].'"

Clemmons fled the scene but turned himself in to the police later that evening. Meanwhile, Latimore was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but miraculously survived.

Team Caught in the Crossfire

Following the shooting, St. Louis officials suspended the team, saying the incident was the culmination of "a series of incidents perpetuated by adults," according to the Associated Press.

Latimore criticized the decision, calling it "not fair" to the young athletes who had nothing to do with the violence, according to the AP.

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis partnered with the city to offer counseling to the children who witnessed the shooting. Many were left shaken, including Latimore's own family.

His mother, SeMiko Latimore, called the shooting "senseless." As reported by the New York Post, she told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "We're supposed to be bringing these kids off the streets and teaching them what to do, what not to do. We've got all these kids traumatized because their coach was shot in front of them. He could have easily hit one of those children."

A Judge's Decision and a Community's Pain

Clemmons was found guilty of assault and armed criminal action in February 2025, and his defense team has since filed a motion for a new trial, arguing self-defense.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore condemned the shooting and the impact it had on the young athletes. "Violence, especially in youth sports, is completely unacceptable and undermines the purpose of these programs — teaching teamwork, discipline, and respect," Gore said in a statement, according to the AP. "This could easily have been a lethal encounter for the coach as well as for the children and family members present," he added, according to the New York Post.

With Clemmons now serving a 13-year sentence, he won't be attending any of his son's football practices or games any time soon.

References: Father gets 13 years for shooting youth football coach over son's playing time | Crazed dad convicted of shooting volunteer football coach for not giving his young son enough playing time | St. Louis youth football coach says he was shot by parents over son's playing time