Santa Maria Police have arrested a man they believe is responsible for a shooting that left a 20 year old Hancock College football player dead. The shooting happened at 11:30, Friday night in the alley behind the 900 block of Main St.
Police arrested Tyrell Charles Jordan after a short search of the surrounding area. The weapon believed to be involved, a revolver was found nearby in the bushes.
According to witnesses, Jordan and the victim 20 year old Tau Sudlow of Santa Maria had just left a house party when Jordan approached Sudlow and struck him in the face with a gun. The two men then began to struggle for the gun and Sudlow was hit once in the torso with a bullet. Sudlow was transported to Marian Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
At Hancock College, the gymnasium windows have signs remembering Sudlow and his jersey number 58.
Athletic director Tom Mott says Sudlow, "had actually just signed a scholarship with Tennessee State. I talked to their coach, and they just received the paperwork so he was heading there in the fall to continue his football playing."
In two years at Hancock, "he was a Captain, he was looked up to by all his team mates and when the news hit it really shook them up. Until tragedy wildest imagination could think something would ever happen like this."
Hancock College President, has offered grief counseling to all students who are troubled by the killing and needed help to cope with the loss.
A memorial fund has been set up at Community Bank of Santa Maria.
Sudlow is from Brooklyn, New York.


KEY News Senior Reporter John Palminteri has more on this story.