Top NFL Draft Prospect Shot in Duarte

Dennis Weathersby, a former standout cornerback at Oregon State University and top prospect in the upcoming National Football League draft, was shot in the back Sunday afternoon in an apparent gang-related shooting, officials said.

Weathersby, 22, was shot at 5:24 p.m. as he stepped into his car at Meridian Drive and Citrus View Avenue in Duarte, said Sgt. Leonard Williams, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Weathersby was taken to a hospital, but his condition was not immediately known, Williams said.

He was a semifinalist last season for the Jim Thorpe Award given to the nation’s best collegiate defensive back. Weathersby attended OSU after playing football at Duarte High School.