Texas College Football Players Shot During Robbery In Florida
COMMERCE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Two football players from Texas A&M University-Commerce are hospitalized in Miami after being robbed and shot while vacationing in the Miami area for Spring Break, the school said in a statement.
The school in Commerce, about 15 miles northeast of Greenville, said it learned about the incident Saturday afternoon.
Jay Bias and Xavier Morris are both junior linebackers and are recovering at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
The City of Miami Police Department did confirm it is investigating the shooting.
"We are handling an investigation where two football player students at Texas A&M University-Commerce, who were here for Spring Break, were robbed at gunpoint and then shot at approximately 5:26 a.m. on Saturday," the department said in a statement.
Both students are in stable condition.
It wasn't clear where the robbery took place, and no arrests have been reported.
Texas A&M-Commerce released a statement saying it's horrified by what happened and focusing on supporting the injured students.
"As they continue their remarkable progress and recovery from this unthinkable act of violence, we ask everyone to please respect our families and our focus on their support and recovery, as they are both clinically stable."
The school's athletic director traveled to Miami which did not surprise student-athletes CBS 11 spoke to who say the staff has a history of being supportive.
"This isn't the first time I've seen them act in that way," said student-athlete Kate Holleman who was on the track and field team for two years. "There's a culture of support here and it's really good to know that not only in the big dramatic scary situations but also the simple little needs day-to-day on campus."
The Texas A&M-Commerce Athletics program has worked with the Lone Star Conference and the NCAA to create a Go Fund Me page to assist the family with medical and recovery expenses associated with this event."
Texas A&M University-Commerce is a NCAA Division II school in the Lone Star Conference.
The football team went 10-3 this past season.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
