LAWRENCEVILLE - A prep basketball star who signed to play at Wake Forest next season was charged with aggravated assault and trespassing.
Al-Farouq Aminu, a 6-foot-8 senior at Norcross High School, turned himself in Friday after being accused of shooting a female with a BB gun from a vehicle on March 14, Gwinnett County sheriff's spokeswoman Stacey Bourbonnais said. He was released on $3,500 bond early Saturday.
Bourbonnais said she did not know the extent of the victim's injuries and had no other details about the incident.
The 17-year-old Aminu was named ``Mr. Basketball'' on Friday by the Georgia Sportswriters Association, honoring him as the top male player in the state. He led his team to a third straight state title this season, averaging 23.1 points.
``We are in the process of gathering all of the information on this incident and it would not be fair to make any statement or judgment until we collect all of the facts,'' Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio said in a statement.
The aggravated assault charge is a felony, while trespassing is a misdemeanor.
One of Aminu's teammates expressed surprise at the charges.
``He is not that type of kid. I can't see Al-Farouq like that,'' said Norcross' starting point guard, Taariq Muhammad. ``He was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time. This could serve as a lesson for other kids.''
Monday
August 26th, 2024
4:16PM
