Gene Ransom Bio-Gene Ransom Wiki
Gene Ransom, who has a membership of the California College Basketball Hall of Fame, was shot to death while driving on a freeway, police said.
Age
Gene Ransom was 65 years old
Incident Details
Gene Ransom Friday evening after being struck by gunfire while travelling on Interstate 880. Garcia’s left side when the suspect fired a gun at the victim’s black Honda Civic.Before coming to a stop, per Saturday’s statement
. Meanwhile, Garcia “immediately fled the scene. Responding officers pronounced the victim dead at the scene, the CHP said. He is believed to have been the only person inside the Honda during the shooting.
Cal Athletics addressed the reports of Ransom’s death in a statement and extended condolences to the former athlete’s family. We are shocked to hear the reports that Cal Athletics Hall of Famer Gene Ransom has been identified as a victim in a deadly freeway shooting,” the statement said. “Our thoughts are with Gene’s family and friends for this tragic loss. Gene was one of the greatest players in our men’s basketball program’s history, and he will be greatly missed.” He did things at his size that other guys couldn’t do,” his former teammate Ruppert Jones told SI. “He was able to compete with players much bigger than him because he had the ability to create space. He was a great ball-handler, he could shoot and he wasn’t afraid.”
Ransom’s death is one of several freeway shootings plaguing the area:
At Cal, Ransom averaged 14.8 points per game (1,185 points total) in over 80 contests between 1975 and 1978, Sports Illustrated reports. He averaged 17 points per game during his third and final season with the team.
In 1977, Ransom was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the ninth round of the NBA Draft, though he never played a game in the league, per SI. In 2001, Ransom was inducted into the California Athletics Hall of Fame.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing. Anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact the CHP Investigation Tip Line at (707) 917-4491.
Thaxter Ransom, Ransom’s son, remembered his father’s legacy in a statement obtained by ABC7, calling him “a great man” that had “a major influence in the East Bay Area community” during his lifetime. I’ll never forget him, and will always love him.”