Florida State football announced encouraging news on the condition of freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard, who remains hospitalized after being shot two weeks ago.
Pritchard opened his eyes on Sunday afternoon for the first time since the Aug. 31 incident, which police say was a case of mistaken identity. The Sanford, Florida native was shot while dropping off family members near the Havana Heights Apartments in Havana, Florida.
On Monday morning, Florida State head coach Mike Norvell shared the good news about Pritchard’s early recovery.
“I went by there this morning and there has been progress,” Norvell said, via 247Sports. “Yesterday, he opened his eyes. It was something that was emotional for everybody to be honest with you.
“There’s still a long part of his process moving forward, but it puts all things in perspective, the appreciation of a blink. He’s fighting, his family is there, so very supportive.”
‘Wrong place at the wrong time’
During a press conference last week, authorities provided more info on Pritchard’s case, with Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Commissioner Mark Glass saying the Seminole player “was not doing anything wrong.”
The Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office called the shooting a case of mistaken identity, with FDLE official Keith Wilmer saying Pritchard was “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Pritchard was reportedly driving home two family members, including a three-year-old child, from a cookout when he was attacked.
Four arrests made
At that same press conference, police announced that four individuals had been arrested in connection with the case.
These men are:
- Caron Miller, 18
- Jayden Bodison, 22
- Anthony Glenn, 16
- Germany Atkins, 22
Miller, Bodison and Glenn are facing three counts of attempted murder and one count of shooting into an occupied vehicle, while Atkins was charged with a probation violation.
All four suspects have reportedly been ordered not to be released on bond.
‘Ethan is one of my favorites’
A 6-foot-2, 224-pound linebacker, Pritchard was a three-star recruit out of Seminole High School. He didn’t play in FSU’s season-opening win over Alabama on Aug. 30, one day before he was shot.
The following weekend, Florida State paid tribute to Pritchard before the team’s game over East Texas A&M, bringing his jersey out for the pregame coin toss.
Pritchard’s father Earl was also in attendance for the Seminoles’ 77-3 victory.
“Ethan is one of my favorites,” Norvell said following the game. “I recruited him for years and got a chance to watch him grow. When he committed to Florida State, the way that he plays the game, his passion and energy — he loves it. I mean absolutely loves it.
“To know that right now that’s taken away from him in a senseless act and something that you don’t always know why. You don’t know why you have to go through things in life. You don’t understand the reasoning, but I do believe that God has his hand over Ethan and this football team and all the relationships.”
