Two football players at the University of Utah (UoU) are in serious, stable condition at the hospital after each suffering gunshot wounds to the torso.
Sophomore offense guard Lo Falemaka, 20, and freshman tailback Marcel Brooks-Brown, 18, were shot at a party around midnight Sunday. Neither sustained life-threatening injuries and Brooks-Brown left the hospital by Sunday evening, a UoU athletic department spokesperson confirmed to The Salt Lake Tribune.
The Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) is looking for three suspects: one white, heavyset male with a beard, and two black men, one about six feet tall and the other about five-foot-nine. According to The Tribune reported, all three are believed to be in their 20s.
SLCPD Sgt. Robin Heiden told the newspaper the three suspects came to the party uninvited and were not welcomed to stay. It is not clear if Falemaka and Brooks-Brown were among the party's hosts, but they confronted the suspects and a fight broke out, resulting in one suspect firing a handgun.
"Obviously, our first concern is that both Lo and Marcel are going to be OK, which appears to be the case," UoU head football coach Kyle Whittingham in a statement obtained by The Tribune. "We don't have all of the details yet, but it is our understanding that they are the victims in this incident and we feel very fortunate that they are expected to fully recover. It is unknown at this time how soon they will be able to return to the football field, but we are optimistic it will be in the near future."
