While on vacation in his hometown, a point guard player for Michigan State was shot; he is in stable condition and on the mend.
The university released a statement saying that freshman Jeremy Fears was wounded in the leg in Joilet, Illinois, either late on Friday or early on Saturday. In a statement, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo noted that Fears was doing well after surgery on Saturday morning.
On Saturday afternoon, the police department announced on its Facebook page that at 3:44 a.m., police discovered two individuals shot in a house. A man (18) and a woman (19) were the sole victims named. As per the Michigan State team website, Fears is 18 years old.
The man was struck in the thigh, and the woman took a bullet in her pelvis. Neither of the shots were life-threatening.
The victims and others were inside the property when a male suspect, brandishing a pistol, broke through the front door and began firing shots before running away, according to investigators. Nobody at the residence recognized the gunman. He had not been apprehended by Saturday afternoon.
A spokesperson from the Joliet Police Department’s public relations unit told The Athletic that the department is still trying to piece together what happened, find witnesses, and figure out why the shooting occurred.
An image of Fears reclining in what seems like a hospital bed was shared on his Instagram account. The photo’s caption characterized the shooting as a “small setback.”
In Thursday’s 99-55 win against Stony Brook, Fears had a career-high ten assists.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Fears has started every game for Michigan State this year after being a five-star recruit out of Joliet West High School. According to the club website, he averages 3.5 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.9 rebounds per game.