A Florida State freshman football player is currently hospitalized after being shot Sunday night, one day after the program’s massive season-opening win over Alabama.
Ethan Pritchard, a first-year linebacker from Sanford, Florida, has been identified as the victim of a shooting which took place around 10 p.m. Sunday near the Havana Heights Apartments in Havana, Florida.
On Monday morning, the Florida State football program released a statement confirming Pritchard had been shot and saying the young man was in critical, but stable condition.
“Ethan Pritchard, a freshman linebacker on Florida State’s football team, is in critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit at a local hospital after suffering a gunshot wound last night while visiting family in Havana, Florida,” the statement reads.
“The Pritchard family is thankful for the support from so many people, as well as the care from first responders and medical professionals, and asks that their privacy be respected at this time. Further updates will be provided as they are available.”
The shooting is under investigation
According to reports, officers were called to the scene near the Havana Heights Apartments at the corner of 16th Street and South Main Street in Havana Sunday night.
One man, now identified as Pritchard, was shot. He was found by first responders inside a vehicle.
“Officers did arrive [and] were able to get him out of the vehicle, and EMS arrived where they transported him to a local hospital,” said Captain Anglie Holmes of the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office.
Information on what happened is scarce at the moment, but the shooting is under investigation.
Pritchard a promising young player
A star at Seminole High School in Sanford, Pritchard committed to Florida State in October 2023. In his final two high school seasons, the 6-foot-2, 224-pounder combined for 114 tackles, including 18 for loss and one fumble recovery.
Pritchard did not appear in FSU’s 31-17 upset win over No. 8 Alabama in Tallahassee on Saturday afternoon.
