Oct 31, 2007 9:42 am US/Central
Notre Dame Football Player's Brother Shot Dead
Victim Was Trainer For College Athletes
CHICAGO (STNG) ―
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Notre Dame football running back Robert Hughes
CBS
A 24-year-old man fatally shot on the West Side early Tuesday has been identified as the older brother of University of Notre Dame running back Robert Hughes.
An arrest has not been made in the slaying, according to a Grand Central Area detective at 2 a.m. Wednesday.
About 1 a.m. Tuesday, Earl "Tony" Hughes was shot in the head in the 5300 block of West Wabansia Avenue about two blocks from his North Austin neighborhood home, authorities said. The Cook County Medical Examiner's office said the shooting happened at 5357 W. Wabansia Ave.
Earl Hughes was pronounced dead John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County at 4:12 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
Earl Hughes had worked until about 10 p.m. Monday at EFT Sports Performance in Highland Park, where he was a trainer for teenage athletes.
He returned home about 11 p.m. and left about 12:30 a.m. He was killed soon afterward, said his uncle EJ Jones, a running back for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1984-85 season.
A witness said she heard an argument and shots fired, according to police News Affairs Director Monique Bond.
The shooting was not a drive-by, according to police News Affairs Officer David Banks.
Hughes' uncle believes the shooting may be over a love triangle.
"It's horrible," Jones said. "We are 100 percent confident this was not drug- or gang-related. He was never in an altercation…. We think this has to do with some kind of triangle relationship."
Earl Hughes' only arrest was for disorderly conduct in 2000, police said.
He was the father of a 1-year-old daughter and one of eight siblings.
Earl Hughes attended Joliet Junior College, where he was an outstanding basketball player, his uncles said. He had made the first cut of an Arena Football League tryout last year, but did not wind up playing, said Hughes' EFT Sports Performance boss Elias Karras.
Robert Hughes, a freshman running back for the Irish, learned of his brother's death from head coach Charlie Weis.
"His mom called me and she was shook up, and when I told Robert, he obviously was shook up," Weis said. "I told him to take as much time as he needs."
Robert Hughes has a touchdown and has rushed for 42 yards on 16 carries so far this season. The 5-foot-11, 238-pounder rushed for 5,734 yards in his four-year career at Hubbard High School and was considered a top running back recruit.
A description of the shooter was not immediately available, police said.
Grand Central Area detectives are investigating.
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(Source: Sun-Times News Group Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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