Ex-UM football player dies in New Haven shooting

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Former University of Maine football player Mark Stetson was shot to death Monday afternoon during an argument with another man, city police said.

Police said the 24-year-old Stetson, who lived in New Hampshire, was a student at Southern Connecticut State University, but was not currently attending classes. He was pronounced dead at Yale-New Haven Hospital a short time after the shooting, which occurred shortly before 3:30 p.m. on Fitch Street.

Stetson was shot in the chest during the argument. No arrests had been made as of Monday evening, but police said they were following several leads. The suspect fled in a sport utility vehicle, according to broadcast reports.

Police said there was a lot of evidence at the scene, including two guns. The incident took place a few blocks from SCSU.

“There was an argument and no one seems to know what the argument was over between those two individuals,” said police Lt. Herman Badger.

Stetson, a 6-foot-4, 292-pound defensive tackle, played two seasons for the Black Bears. The Marlborough, Mass., native was part of UMaine’s back-to-back Atlantic 10 championship teams in 2001 and 2002.

Stetson appeared in eight games as a freshman, then played 13 contests in 2002 as a backup, registering 19 tackles.