University of Utah freshman running back Ty Jordan died on Friday, aged 19.- Police in Denton, Texas, told ESPN that a preliminary investigation found Jordan had "accidentally shot himself."
- Jordan had an explosive first season at
Utah , running 597 yards, scoring six touchdowns, and having 83 carries over five games.
University of Utah freshman running back Ty Jordan, 19, died on Friday in an apparent accidental shooting, authorities have said.
Police in Denton, Texas, told the Salt Lake City Tribune that officers found Jordan experiencing a gunshot injury while responding to a shooting call at 9:38 p.m. on Friday. Officers said that the football player was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
"Following a preliminary investigation, we do believe that this was an accidental shooting, where the victim accidentally shot himself," Denton Police public information officer Allison Beckwith separately told ESPN.
The University of Utah confirmed Jordan's
"Words cannot express the devastation and heartache that our team is feeling right now upon learning of the tragic death of our teammate and brother, Ty Jordan," Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham said in a statement. "Ty's personality and smile were infectious and he made a huge impact on our program in the short time he was with us. He leaves an indelible mark on each of us and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. From the bottom of our hearts, all of us in the Utah Football Family want to say we love you Ty and may you rest in peace."
Jordan, a rising star on the team who was just named Pac-12's newcomer of the year, had an explosive first season, running 597 yards, scoring six touchdowns, and having 83 carries over five games.
He grew up in Mesquite, Texas, a Dallas suburb about an hour drive away from Denton.
"We are deeply saddened and shocked to learn of Ty Jordan's passing early this morning, and our thoughts and prayers are with those who loved him dearly, including the young men in our football program," said Mark Harlan, Utah director of athletics. "Our priority is on supporting his family and the student-athletes, coaches, and staff in our football program who are so deeply hurting right now. Coach Whittingham and I are working closely to provide support and resources for our Utah Football family in this extremely difficult time."
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