A suspect in a US gun murder has been sacked by a basketball team in Scotland. Malik Dunbar, 28, signed for Caledonia Gladiators at the start of December.
He joined the East Kilbride-based team just two months after he was named as a suspect in the shooting of a 32-year-old man in a car park outside a Mexican restaurant called El Presidente in Augusta, Georgia.
Arthur Braxton, 32, a dad-of-four from South Carolina, was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene on October 4. Our sister paper the Daily Record revealed that Dunbar is a named suspect in the case.
The Gladiators say they were not made aware of the allegations when they signed the player and the team has since launched an internal review. Meanwhile, Dunbar and fellow player Jared Wilson-Frame – who also signed on December 5 – have both had their contracts terminated.
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This decision is understood to relate to a separate matter, which the club have described as a “serious breach of club discipline”.
A spokesman for Caledonia Gladiators said: “As of 14 January 2025, Caledonia Gladiators can confirm that the club has terminated the contracts of both Malik Dunbar and Jared Wilson-Frame, who joined the club last month, with immediate effect based on a serious breach of club discipline.
Caledonia Gladiators’ Malik Dunbar
(Image: East Kilbride News)
“Following this breach, we have since been made aware of serious allegations circulating on a separate matter in relation to Malik Dunbar in the US and prior to his arrival with the club but we cannot comment on any potential police investigation.
“We work with reputable sports agencies who supply players to clubs across the world and no allegations were disclosed as part of our due diligence process. As such, an internal review has now been launched with the relevant stakeholders.”
US media reports also stated that Dunbar was also arrested in August and charged by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office with possessing a firearm or knife, and with possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute.
Arthur Braxton
(Image: GL Brightharp and Sons)
The 6′ 6″ forward and shooting guard enjoyed a successful college career with the Auburn Tigers and played overseas in Egypt, Germany and Indonesia before arriving in Scotland. He also played in the NBA’s minor league, the G League, as well as turning out for the Golden State Warriors during the NBA’s Summer League.
The athlete is well-known in the States and has over 21,000 followers on Instagram. During his short spell in Scotland, he posted a number of pictures of him in action for the Gladiators on social media. In a cryptic post on his Instagram page on Tuesday evening, he posted a picture of him and Wilson-Frame high-fiving during a match. The picture was captioned: “That’s it that’s all.”
The Caledonian Gladiators currently sit bottom of the UK-wide nine-team Super League Basketball division, with just four points from 12 games. The club has previously competed as the Edinburgh Rocks, the Scottish Rocks and the Glasgow Rocks.
The Record has contacted Malik Dunbar for comment. Sports agency Interperformances, which represented Dunbar, told the BBC they had not been made aware of his links to the shooting.
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