PROVIDENCE, R.I. (THECOUNT) — Marvins Antoine, an 18-year-old UMass Dartmouth football player from Boston, has been identified as the man who died after being stabbed early Saturday morning following an altercation at Mezzo Lounge in Providence, Rhode Island, according to police and university officials.
Providence police said officers responded to the Wendy’s parking lot on Charles Street at approximately 12:30 a.m. Saturday, September 19, 2026, for a reported stabbing.
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Two men were found suffering from stab wounds, according to Providence Police spokeswoman Kristy dosReis.
Antoine suffered stab wounds to the chest and was transported to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, where he was later pronounced dead. He was 18.
A second 19-year-old man suffered non-life-threatening stab wounds to the head and neck and was also transported to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment, police said.
Both victims were UMass Dartmouth football players who had been at Mezzo Lounge with other members of the team before the stabbing, according to police.
Mezzo Lounge is located at 393 Charles Street, directly across from the Wendy’s parking lot where the stabbing occurred. The nightclub’s website identifies it as a Providence nightlife venue with Friday and Saturday hours extending into the early morning.
Police said the stabbing followed an altercation, but detectives were continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.
After further investigation, an alleged suspect was identified and was being held in the custody of the UMass Dartmouth Police Department, according to dosReis. Authorities have not publicly identified the suspect.
The investigation remained active Saturday as detectives worked to determine what led to the altercation and stabbing.
UMass Dartmouth officials confirmed Antoine’s death and said the university community was mourning the freshman football player.
“The entire UMass Dartmouth community mourns the loss of Marvins Antoine,” Assistant Vice Chancellor Ryan C. Merrill said in a statement. “We extend our thoughts and prayers to Marvins’ family and friends during this difficult time.”
Merrill said the university could not comment further because of the ongoing investigation.
Antoine was listed on the 2026 UMass Dartmouth football roster as a freshman running back from Boston who previously attended B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts. The university roster lists him at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds.
Before joining UMass Dartmouth, Antoine established himself as a standout football player at Durfee. He transferred to the Fall River school after previously playing at Atlantis Charter School.
In his final Thanksgiving Day game for Durfee in November 2025, Antoine helped lead the Hilltoppers to a 36-0 victory over New Bedford.
Antoine rushed for a game-high 131 yards on 14 carries and scored three touchdowns in the rivalry game, according to reporting from the SouthCoast area.
After the victory, Antoine said the team had remained focused despite New Bedford entering the game with a winless record.
“We did not take them lightly even though their record was 0-9,” Antoine said following the game. “We just wanted to win for the city of Fall River and get the win.”
His performance was part of a strong senior season at Durfee. The 2025 Big 3 Conference named Antoine an all-conference running back, and his season statistics placed him among the area’s leading rushers.
Antoine’s death comes as the UMass Dartmouth football program begins its 2026 season. His university roster lists him as a freshman and identifies Durfee as his previous school.
The Providence stabbing occurred near the Charles Street corridor in the northern portion of Providence, the capital city of Rhode Island and the center of the state’s largest metropolitan area.
The location has also been the site of previous police and licensing concerns involving Mezzo Lounge. In November 2024, the Providence Board of Licenses temporarily suspended the nightclub’s licenses for 72 hours following reports of gunfire in a parking lot after an altercation. The state Department of Business Regulation later documented the licensing proceeding.
The 2024 licensing matter involved a separate incident and does not establish a connection to Saturday’s fatal stabbing.
Authorities have not released additional details about the alleged suspect or announced criminal charges in connection with Antoine’s death. The investigation remains active.
Geographic context: The stabbing occurred in Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island, in the parking lot of the Wendy’s on Charles Street near Mezzo Lounge. Providence is the capital and largest city in Rhode Island and anchors the Providence metropolitan area, which extends across Rhode Island and into southeastern Massachusetts.
Google Maps: Mezzo Lounge and Charles Street, Providence, Rhode Island
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