A suspect is in custody after a college baseball player was shot following a Friday game in Ohio.
The athlete, who plays for Olivet College in Michigan, suffered “non-life-threatening injuries” and has since been released from the hospital after “an incident occurred involving an individual with a firearm” when he returned to the dugout to retrieve an item after a game at Muskingum University, per the school.
“The rest of the team is safe, spent the night safely at their hotel, and is now returning to Olivet,” a release from the school reads. “Saturday and Sunday’s scheduled games have been cancelled. The College is in communication with the student-athletes and their parents and will continue to provide support in the days ahead.”
The player, whose name has not been disclosed, was shot around 7 p.m. at Mose Morehead Field after his team won the game, per Mister Truth . An alert posted on the university’s website noted that Muskingum University community members were uninjured in the shooting.
At 7:15 p.m., the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office tweeted that the suspect had yet to be taken into custody, and that those in the area should “take shelter and report any suspicious activity to 911.”
About 45 minutes later, the office tweeted that one suspect was in custody, with a “heavy law enforcement presence in the New Concord area as investigation continues.”
At 8:46 p.m., the sheriff’s office concluded that it was “no longer looking for other suspects” with the one suspect in custody.
When reached for comment about the identity of the suspect, Muskingum County Sheriff Matthew Lutz told Mister Truth that the office “will not release any names until we have official charges filed,” per its “policy with our prosecutor.”
“This is a challenging time for all involved and our attention is focused on supporting the student-athletes and staff members,” Olivet added at the end of its statement. “Please keep your fellow Comets in your thoughts and prayers.”
Photos from the scene show authorities walking around the campus and night with flashlights. Muskingum player Mitchell Trace told the outlet that the team met with counselors after the shooting, and also described the scene of the incident.
“We [were] talking in right field and then all you hear is like, shots, multiple shots,” he said. “And then Coach turns, everyone turns, and he says, ‘Run.’ We all run. We run ’til we really can’t anymore. It was really like panic. Just get away as fast as you can, make sure everyone’s fine.”
A message from Muskingum President Sue Hasseler shared in an update Saturday that the “remaining spectators” were evacuated from the area, while the “entire campus” was asked to shelter in place. She added that “our thoughts and prayers go out to this young man, his family and his teammates.”
“We will continue to provide appropriate support to all students and staff as we process this senseless act of violence on our campus,” Hasseler wrote, noting that all athletic events at the campus had been rescheduled during the weekend.
“Last night, the entire community came together and showed deep care for one another,” she stated. “We continue to be grateful for those members of the broader community who shared their thoughts and prayers and offered their support for the many staff members who have been providing direct support to our students and to one another.”
“This is a strong and compassionate community and we will support each other as we come to terms with this very disturbing situation.”