From the Oregonian’s Aaron Fentress.

An 18-year-old California man who reportedly had given an oral commitment to play football at the University of Oregon next season has been charged with murder in Los Angeles County.

Jurray Casey, a senior linebacker at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, Calif., faces one count of murder and one count of firing a weapon in a car-to-car shooting that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old boy on Jan. 8, according to Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Hamid Towfigh.

Casey has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to Culver City Police Lt. Dean Williams, the shooting occurred at about 12:40 a.m. Jan. 8 when an occupant in one vehicle carrying four people — including Casey — fired several shots into another vehicle that was carrying at least three passengers. The shots struck and killed 17-year-old Rashad Ali of Los Angeles.

Williams said the two parties did not know each other and the shooting was precipitated by hand gestures thought to be gang signs.