Marvins Antoine, an 18-year-old freshman running back for UMass Dartmouth, was fatally stabbed early Saturday in a double stabbing near a Wendy's parking lot in Providence, Rhode Island, just two weeks after he arrived on campus. A second victim, a 19-year-old teammate, was also stabbed in the head and neck and is being treated at a local hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
The stabbings happened around 12:30 a.m. Saturday on Charles Street in Providence, according to NBC Boston. Police say both victims were members of the UMass Dartmouth football team and had been at Mezza Lounge with other teammates before the attack. Antoine died from his injuries, while the second player's wounds are not considered life-threatening, per the station's report.
Antoine had just graduated from Durfee High School in Fall River before enrolling at UMass Dartmouth as a freshman running back, the outlet reports. According to Fall River Reporter, Antoine suffered a fatal stab wound to his chest and was pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital, while the second victim was treated at the same hospital for his head and neck injuries. Both players had been out with teammates following the team's game that Friday night.
A Suspect Is In Custody Across State Lines
A suspect is being held by UMass Dartmouth police, according to the same NBC Boston report. Fall River Reporter adds that campus police in Massachusetts took the suspect into custody following the stabbing in Providence, pointing to coordination between Rhode Island and Massachusetts law enforcement as investigators work to piece together what happened. Authorities are still trying to determine what led up to the stabbing.
UMass Dartmouth's football team had played a home game against Framingham State that Friday night, falling 23-21, before the players went out with teammates. The Corsairs entered this season as co-favorites to win the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference title, according to head coaches surveyed by Ocean State Media, after going 6-4 in 2025. The team competes in NCAA Division III as part of the MASCAC, per Bridgewater State University Athletics.
A Standout Career Cut Short
Before his fatal stabbing, Antoine played running back at Durfee High School. Fall River Reporter notes that Antoine also competed in varsity athletics at Atlantis Charter School in Fall River earlier in his high school career, developing into a multi-sport athlete across the city's programs before landing at Durfee and eventually UMass Dartmouth.
Political and Public Safety Reaction
Political and Public Safety Reaction David Morales, the Democratic nominee for Providence mayor, issued a statement expressing concern for Antoine's mother, family, teammates and witnesses to the stabbing. Morales said he was heartbroken by Antoine's death and prayed for the full recovery of the second victim, per NBC Boston's reporting.
Providence recorded 13 homicides in 2023.
