Former Hilltopper killed in Georgia shooting

Senior Cliff Dixon passes the ball during Saturday night’s game against Troy. Dixon grabbed seven rebounds off the bench, helping WKU pick up a 77-58 win.

Jeremy Chisenhall

Former WKU basketball player Cliff Dixon was shot and killed near Atlanta Thursday morning, according to the Chamblee Police Department. 

According to his Instagram, Dixon was set to celebrate his birthday at the SL Lounge in Chamblee, Georgia. The 32-year-old former Hilltopper was shot multiple times in the parking lot of the nightclub at around 1:17 a.m., according to a press release provided to the Herald by Chamblee PD.

“First responders administered aid, and the victim was transported to Grady Hospital where medical staff advised that he had succumbed to his injuries,” the release stated. 

The WKU basketball program acknowledged Dixon’s death in a statement on Twitter Thursday. 

{{tncms-inline account=”WKU Hilltopper Basketball” html=”<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We're sending our condolences today to the family, friends and loved ones of former Hilltopper forward Cliff Dixon (2009-11), who passed away early this morning.</p>— WKU Hilltopper Basketball (@WKUBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/WKUBasketball/status/1108770125547798528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2019</a></blockquote>” id=”https://twitter.com/WKUBasketball/status/1108770125547798528″ type=”twitter”}}

Dixon played for WKU from 2009-11, but was dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules, as previously reported by the Herald. 

Chamblee PD are still searching for Dixon’s killer, according to the release. 

“Chamblee Investigators are actively working the case and following up on all available leads,” the release stated. “If you have any information, please call the Chamblee Police Department at 770-986-5005.”

Digital Managing Editor Jeremy Chisenhall can be reached at 270-745-6291 and [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JSChisenhall.