Calallen football player fatally stabbed at Walmart attended Churchill HS in San Antonio

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Calallen High School senior football player who was fatally stabbed on Sunday inside a Walmart attended Churchill High School in San Antonio prior to enrolling at the Corpus Christi area school.

North East ISD spokesperson Aubrey Chancellor confirmed that Gabriel Cooley was at Churchill as a freshman and sophomore. Cooley also attended Jackson Middle School. 

Chancellor said while at Churchill, Cooley played football, soccer and wrote for the school paper. He enrolled at Calallen as a junior.

According to KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi officers responded to the stabbing Sunday after receiving a call for a disturbance inside the store on U.S. Highway 77.

Police said the man responsible for the stabbing was arrested and the victim was transported to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Authorities have not released the identity of the victim, but the Calallen football team initially identified him on Twitter as their senior kicker, Gabriel Cooley.

Memorials and condolences from students, coaches and teammates poured in Sunday afternoon for Cooley, who was also a member of the boys soccer team.

The Caller-Times named Cooley the District 29-5A newcomer of the year in boys soccer in April.

KRIS-TV reported that police were not initially clear what led to the stabbing or if Cooley knew the other man.

Calallen opens its 2020 football season this Friday at home against San Antonio Cornerstone.