In a message posted to Twitter on Thursday, Arizona Wildcats sophomore forward Ira Lee apologized for driving under the influence, calling it a regret he will live with for the rest of his life.
Lee, 20, also provided some context for what he was dealing with in his personal life: The day before the incident, his grandmother died by suicide.
"Before all of these events I was already emotionally unstable and dealing with different personal issues," he wrote. "The only person I can blame is myself because I knew how unstable I was and instead of seeking for help I turned to drinking which led to a terrible mistake.
"For the time being I will be focusing on getting back to the happy state I was once in and eventually deal with whatever consequences that come my way."
— Ira Lee (@iramandoesit) August 24, 2018
Lee was cited Sunday for driving under the influence and faces multiple misdemeanor charges related to the incident, according to court records. The charges include: failing to yield at an intersection, DUI for a minor and extreme DUI (blood-alcohol content above 0.20).
On Friday, Lee had posted a photo honoring his grandmother:
My number 1 fan is watching over me now. You were the best grandma a kid could ask for...love you and rest peacefully❤️🙏🏽👼🏽 pic.twitter.com/CszjodiuHQ
— Ira Lee (@iramandoesit) August 17, 2018
"I advise to anyone that is going through something or dealing with something deep down inside, to talk to someone because self-harm is not the answer and it can lead to harming others unintentionally. Once again I am deeply sorry and I am looking forward to getting back on track," Lee wrote Thursday.
In a statement released Tuesday, Arizona said the "incident has been referred to the Dean of Students for review under the University's student code of conduct, and the Athletics Department is reviewing the incident for team consequences. Students also have access to counseling and other support services."
Lee averaged 2.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game as a freshman last season and figured to play a significant role for the team this season as it replaces its entire starting lineup. A native of Los Angeles, Lee was the No. 69-ranked player in the Class of 2017.