A 19-year old Calgary man has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Calgary Stampeder Mylan Hicks outside a southwest nightclub on the weekend.

Police were called to the Marquee Beer Market in the 4600 block of Macleod Trail at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday for reports of shots fired outside the club.

Mylan Hicks, 23, was found suffering from a gunshot wound and was transported to hospital in life threatening condition where he later died.

“There’s several witnesses, probably upwards of 20 or more witnesses that were interviewed over the span of yesterday and the information provided by those witnesses ranges but we've got a fair bit of cooperation from those people,” said CPS Major Crimes Inspector Don Coleman.

Three suspects were taken into custody at the scene and on Monday, Nelson Tony Lugela, 19, was charged with second-degree murder.

“He was known to police,” said Coleman. “I believe he did have outstanding warrants.”

Investigators believe that an altercation occurred inside the bar between two groups and that it continued outside.

“There was an altercation that involved several people inside the nightclub and was believed to have been over, then once the bar lets out the altercation continued and was escalated in the parking lot but I don’t know that Mr. Hicks was targeted in anyway,” said Coleman.

Police located a vehicle that they believe the suspects used to flee the scene on Sunday afternoon in the 4000 block of Stanley Place S.W. and it is being processed by forensics.

Several players from the team went to the club after their win against Winnipeg on Saturday and are stunned by what happened.

"I guess wrong spot, wrong time," said defensive back Joshua Bell. "Or mistaken identity, they may have thought he was somebody else, same coloured shirt, something like that."

“Everybody is talking about, when is the next time we are going to lose, it was last night, we lost the most devastating loss we could, and football doesn’t even seem important right now,” said Bo Levi Mitchell.

Hicks was from Detroit and signed with the Stampeders in May and was on the practice roster.

Police say they have recovered a firearm and are working to determine if it's connected to the incident.

“I think that location, despite the name change, continues to be a draw on resources in that area. I know from having worked in that area in the past and speaking to officers recently, there’s lots of activity around that bar and it’s patrolled very well by our membership,” said Coleman. “It’s always a concern when these acts of violence that really impact public safety, it’s always a concern for police.”

The owners and management of Marquee Beer Market & Stage released a statement on Monday afternoon saying…

We are shocked and profoundly saddened at the tragic death of Mylan Hicks. Our thoughts, sympathies and prayers are with his family, friends, teammates, and his many fans across North America.

We are working closely with the police to provide information that can help determine the events that led to the senseless act of violence that took place in our parking lot. The security protocols that are in place, such as ID scans and pat downs for all patrons entering our facility, as well as the professionalism of our staff, will hopefully lead to swift justice for the perpetrator of this horrendous crime.

As we work with law enforcement officials through this investigation we will continue to review and enhance the security measures in our facility and the surrounding area for the safety of our patrons.

Jeremiah Jurcic
Vice President of Operations

Investigators say they believe that a number of people may have recorded the incident on their cellphones.

Anyone who may have photos, or videos, of the incident, who has not already spoken to police, is asked to call the Calgary Police Service non-emergency line at 403-266-1234 or the Homicide Unit Tip Line at 403-428-8877. Tips can also be left anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers using any of the following methods:

TALK: 1-800-222-8477
TYPE: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org
TEXT: tttTIPS to 274637