UMass Dartmouth football player fatally stabbed in Providence

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A night out in Providence ended in tragedy early Saturday morning when an 18-year-old UMass Dartmouth football player was fatally stabbed and one of his teammates was injured.

Marvins Antoine, a freshman running back, was among several football players who had visited Mezzo Lounge on Friday night following the team’s home game against Framingham State.

According to Providence police, an altercation began outside the nightclub around midnight and continued across the street into the parking lot of a Wendy’s restaurant on Charles Street.

Antoine suffered stab wounds to his chest and was transported to Rhode Island Hospital, where he later died. His teammate, 19-year-old Kensley Macean, sustained injuries to his head, neck and left arm. Police said his injuries were not life-threatening. 

Investigators identified 19-year-old Chukuwnonso Uzoma-eze, another UMass Dartmouth student who is not a member of the football team, as the suspect. He was taken into custody on campus and is facing a murder charge in Rhode Island.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. 

Antoine, who had recently begun his freshman year, was a graduate of Durfee High School in Fall River. Friends and former teammates have remembered him as a supportive teammate who made others feel welcome and encouraged younger players.

The UMass Dartmouth community is mourning his death as family, friends and teammates remember the young athlete. 

Our thoughts are with Antoine’s family, friends and teammates during this difficult time, and we wish Macean a full recovery.