NBA Star Richard Jefferson’s Father Dies After Being Gunned Down on a Los Angeles Street

NBA player Richard Jefferson’s his father was killed in a drive-by shooting.

Richard Jefferson Snr. was shot and killed in Compton, California, Wednesday PEOPLE can confirm.

The Inglewood resident, 65, was standing on a street corner when a dark-colored car with a number of men inside pulled up and someone shot Jefferson Snr. just before 7 p.m, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a release obtained by PEOPLE.

The former Cavs player’s dad was shot several times in the torso. Following the shooting, Jefferson Snr. was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Sheriff’s Department is still investigating the shooting and has yet to determine a motive for the 65-year-old’s killing.

On Thursday afternoon, Cavs Nation posted a message of support for Jefferson on Twitter.

“Prayers up for Richard Jefferson and his family. The entire NBA family is with you,” the outlet wrote, adding a single heart emoji.

The 37-year-old forward played for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2015-2017, winning the league championship with the franchise in 2016.

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Jefferson has played in the NBA for 17 years, starting off his career in 2001 with the New Jersey Jets. At the time, he was the 13th overall draft pick.

He most recently played for the Denver Nuggets last season but is currently a free agent.

During an interview with the NBA, the athlete revealed that while he was born in Los Angeles, his mother, moved him and his younger brothers to Arizona when he was 7.

“We were living in South Central during the crack epidemic,” Jefferson said, recounting the family’s time in California. “I was born in 1980, so when we moved in 1987, it was right at the height of it.”