Maryland coach Mike Locksley just wants answers years after son’s shooting death
Exactly three years after the shooting death of his son, Maryland coach Mike Locksley isn’t giving up hope.
Mike and his wife, Kia, spoke with police on Thursday and increased a reward for information about the death of their son, Meiko.
"We hope as a family that anyone that's listening, who may have information, that you come forward and help bring closure to our family," Mike said, via ESPN. "Three years ago today, we received a knock on our door down in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, that would forever change our world, our family's lives. We were left that night feeling numb and hurt. That night, we joined a group of people who have buried their children, a fraternity no one wants to be a part of."
‘Somebody out there knows what happened’
Meiko was shot in the chest in Columbia, Maryland, around 10 p.m. on Sept. 3, 2017, and later died at a local hospital. He was 25. Mike, who grew up in the Washington, D.C., area, was working as the offensive coordinator under Nick Saban at Alabama at the time.
The case has been open ever since. Howard County police offered an increased reward of up to $20,000 for information into Meiko’s death. Mike and Kia have raised an extra $40,000 for information, too.
Howard County criminal investigations bureau commander Cory Zirk said they have served several search warrants, but have yet to identify a motive or make any arrests.
"We don't think this incident was random," Zirk said, via ESPN. "Our detectives believe that this act of violence was likely committed by someone Meiko knew, whether the motive was robbery, or had something to do with drugs, or an ongoing dispute remains to be confirmed. Someone out there knows what happened over the course of three years.”
Mike was preparing for his second season back leading the Terps — he briefly led the team for six games in 2015 after Randy Edsall was fired — this fall, though the Big Ten Conference canceled the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He shared a touching tribute to his son on Twitter on Thursday morning.
There’s not a moment that goes by that I don’t miss you dearly. Continue to watch over us. Until we meet again ❤️ #LLMM pic.twitter.com/eWigLTzipu
— Michael Locksley (@CoachLocks) September 3, 2020
“All we want is closure,” Mike said, via the Baltimore Sun. “We’re not mad, we’re not angry anymore. We’re hurt, we miss him. And we would just hope that if someone has any information, that they would just come forward to maybe bring some closure, as any parent who has lost a child would want.
“The circle of life isn’t built for parents to bury children and for us that’s been really tough to endure for the last three years.”
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