Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. moves the ball against Butler during the second half on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in East Lansing.
Jeremy Fears Jr., a basketball player at Michigan State University, was shot near his hometown of Joliet some time late Friday night or early Saturday morning, according to the university.
Fears, 18, was shot in the leg in the Joliet area and sustained non-life-threatening injuries, an MSU athletics spokesperson said in an email.
"Jeremy underwent surgery this morning and is resting comfortably," MSU Spartans Head Coach Tom Izzo said in a statement. "While there is much we still don’t know, my focus is supporting Jeremy on his road to recovery.”
An alumnus of Joliet West High School, Fears is a freshman guard who, prior to college, was ranked as the No. 1 recruit in Illinois by 24/7 Sports and On3 Sports, according to his biography on the MSU Spartans website.
While police did not confirm the victims' identities, Joliet officials released details regarding an overnight shooting that wounded two people, including an 18-year-old man.
According to authorities, the 18-year-old and a 19-year-old woman were shot at around 3:44 a.m. inside a home in the 300 block of St. Jude Avenue. The woman, who was shot in the pelvis, and the man, who sustained a gunshot wound to the thigh, were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
A preliminary investigation by police revealed that both victims were inside the residence when a man armed with a gun entered through the front door and opened fire. The suspect then ran from the scene following the shooting, authorities said.
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Police conducted an extensive search of the area, but weren't able to locate the person responsible. As of Saturday afternoon, the motive and intended target of the shooting remained unknown.
Authorities said the investigation was in its early stages Saturday afternoon as detectives worked to identify those responsible.
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Anyone with information or video footage related to the incident was asked to call the Joliet Police Department's Investigations Division at 815-724-3020. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by visiting the Will County Crime Stoppers website.
