Man Shot and Killed at Mansion Nightclub in Miami Beach: Police

A man was shot and killed at Mansion Nightclub in Miami Beach early Tuesday, police said.

Sources tell NBC 6 South Florida the victim is Miami Heat player Norris Cole's personal chef, Antaun Teasley.

The 42-year-old Teasley was reportedly shot in the upper torso while in the VIP section inside the club at 1235 Washington Avenue around 3:40 a.m., Miami Beach Police spokesman Bobby Hernandez said.

Club-goers tried to help the man until paramedics arrived and took him to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center, where he later died, Hernandez said.

No one else was hurt. Police confirmed Teasley was the victim of the shooting.

"Obviously a chaotic scene, once everybody saw the fight break out. It obviously got worse once they found out somebody got shot," Hernandez said.

"There was like a bang noise, like a gun, and then I looked over, right in the VIP area, everybody started getting down and started running. And I was like, there's no way on earth that this is like gunshots," club-goer Nefreteri Tomalo said. "Everybody just dropped down and started running like there was like a stampede."

Hernandez said witnesses claim the shooting started with a fight. Detectives are interviewing witnesses to try and identify a possible suspect, Hernandez said.

"A shooting inside a club is very rare. In fact, I don't remember the last time we had a shooting inside the club. It might have been more than 10 years ago," Hernandez said.

Mansion is one of the premiere nightlife spots on South Beach, hosting everything from concerts, DJs and A-list parties.

Teasley's death was announced hours before Cole and the Miami Heat would play Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs in Miami Tuesday night. On Twitter, Heat guard Mario Chalmers called the news "crazy." Chalmers also used to employ Teasley several years ago and he worked for some Miami Dolphins players.
 
Miko Grimes, wife of cornerback Brent Grimes, said in a tweet that Teasley was going to cook for her birthday party next week.

DJ Irie also tweeted condoleces saying, "Rest In Peace to my friend Antuan Teasley aka "Young Chef" 4 those that knew Antuan know that he was 1 of the nicest guys u could ever meet."

The last tweet posted to Teasley's account was a photo of a meal apparently prepared for Cole on Monday afternoon: a sweet potato frittata, summer salad with raspberry vinaigrette, turkey sausage and beet juice. Also in the photo were a pair of Heat championship rings and a miniature Larry O'Brien Trophy, a replica of the one presented annually to the NBA champions.
 
Teasley studied at Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in Pittsburgh, then began working in Florida around 2000, according to his biography. He 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.
 
"A great person to be around," Chalmers tweeted about Teasley after the Heat finished their shootaround practice Tuesday morning. "Never in a bad mood always smiling."


Check back with NBC 6 South Florida and NBC6.com for updates.

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