Late chef Antaun Teasley's twin is mourning his slain brother and remembering the passion he brought to his craft, as police continue to search for his killer.
“He was a professional,” Antwan said of his brother. “He cooked with love and soul and energy.”
Antaun, who was a personal chef for Miami Heat player Norris Cole and other athletes, was gunned down inside the Mansion nightclub early Tuesday morning. He was shot in the chest after becoming involved in a physical altercation in the club's VIP section.
“I just got on my knees and prayed,” Antwan said, saying the loss of his brother has brought him closer to his faith. “I feel no pain, none. I know he didn’t suffer.”
Antaun Teasley’s death came just hours before Cole and his Miami Heat teammates played Game 3 of the NBA Finals Tuesday night. Cole hasn’t commented on the death of his chef, but fellow Heat player Mario Chalmers called the news “crazy” on Twitter and talked about the loss after Game 3.
“He was a close friend,” Chalmers said of Antaun Teasley. “He was my first chef after I first got here.”
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“We're hurting, because it’s sad and a tragic loss,” said Antaun Teasley’s friend Belal. “He just had too much love, gave back too much.”
Police said they are interviewing club-goers to try to identify a suspect in the killing, but so far no arrests have been made.
Antwan Teasley told NBC 6’s Sharon Lawson he had no idea who might want to harm his brother. "He was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Antwan said.
The last tweet posted to Antaun Teasley's Twitter account was a photo of a meal apparently prepared for Cole on Monday afternoon.
Teasley was a Cleveland native and worked with a number of pro athletes with Ohio ties – including Cole, who is a native of Dayton and played his college ball at Cleveland State before being drafted by the Heat in 2011.
The owners of the Mansion nightclub declined to release a comment on the shooting.
In the meantime, family and friends are preparing a memorial for Teasley. The memorial will be held Thursday at the Bethel Apostolic Temple in Miami at 1 p.m. Antaun will be laid to rest on Saturday in his hometown of Cleveland.
The family asked that in lieu of flowers, people should make a contribution to the Young Chef Memorial Fundraiser.
