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(CNN) --
After University of Alabama basketball player Darius Miles was charged with murder in the death of a 23-year-old woman and was kicked off the team, the victim's loved ones say the shot dead when she rebuffed a man who was trying to flirt with her.
Darius Miles, 21, and Michael Lynn Davis, 20, were arrested and charged with murder in the shooting death of Jamea Jonae Harris near the college campus early Sunday, the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit said.
Miles was the only person associated with the University of Alabama involved in the shooting, authorities said.
The university's Athletic Department announced Sunday that he has been cut from the basketball team.
When police responded to the shooting around 1:45 a.m. Sunday, they found Harris had been fatally shot while in a car less than a quarter of a mile from campus, authorities said.
Harris and her boyfriend had driven to Tuscaloosa from Birmingham to visit her cousin, who is studying at the University of Alabama, Harris's mother, DeCarla Cotton, told CNN.
Harris's boyfriend told Cotton the three were eating something after a night out when a man approached Harris and began flirting with her, the mother said.
“He was flirting with her and she declined his attention.
She refused to leave," Cotton told CNN.
"As they were trying to leave, a gentleman approached the car and started shooting."
Harris's boyfriend shot and struck one of the suspects, Cotton said.
The suspect then went to a local hospital, which helped connect him to the shooting, he added.
Investigators said one of the suspects was struck by gunfire and sustained a non-life-threatening injury.
Former University of Alabama forward Darius Miles in a game against Jacksonville State on Dec. 18, 2021. (Vasha Hunt/AP)
Authorities have not clarified which suspect allegedly fired into the car or who was injured.
Both suspects are being held without bail, the Violent Crimes Unit said.
Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Capt. Jack Kennedy said the motive for the shooting appeared to be "a minor altercation these individuals had with the victim when they were on The Strip," which is a hub of restaurants and businesses near the university campus.
“She was not a troublemaker,” Cotton said of her daughter.
“She was a working mom who got up every day to take care of her child,” Cotton said.
Harris' 5-year-old son is staying with Cotton, the mother said.
“I still haven't found the words to explain this to you,” she said.
Lawyers for Miles said in a statement obtained by CNN affiliate WBRC that Miles and his family are "heartbroken" by Harris' death, but "he maintains his innocence and looks forward to his day in court."
Miles, who is a native of Washington, is a junior in college, according to an archived version of the men's basketball team roster.
He was in the midst of playing his third season as a forward for the Alabama Crimson Tide before he was cut from the team on Sunday, the archived page shows.
Jamea Jonae Harris, 23, was shot and killed near the University of Alabama campus on Sunday, authorities said.
Courtesy of DeCarla Cotton.
Head coach addresses removal of Miles
University of Alabama men's basketball head coach Nate Oats said at a news conference Monday that the events of the weekend are "really a tragedy overall."
"I just want to start today by offering our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jamea Jonae Harris, a young woman, daughter and mother who was taken too soon in a senseless act," he said at the start of the conference.
The team met Sunday night to discuss the shooting and the arrest of his teammate, Oats said.
“We continue to support each other as we process this and balance school and basketball,” he said.
The team will continue to practice in preparation for Tuesday's game against Vanderbilt University, Oats said.
"I wish we didn't have to address this situation, but we have to come together as a team right now and... really be there for each other," Oats said, adding that players know the additional support of the services available at the campus and within the Athletic Department.
The university has said it is cooperating with the investigation, along with the Athletic Department.
-- CNN's Kevin Dotson, Jamiel Lynch and Chenelle Woody contributed to this report.
