Baylor football player Alex Foster dies from gunfire as city issues curfew over spate of violence

National Post

3 days ago

Baylor defensive lineman Alex Foster died early Wednesday after he was found with multiple gunshot wounds in a car in his Mississippi hometown, the Washington County coroner's office confirmed to The Associated Press. He was 18.
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The shooting was part of a 'surge in violent crimes' that Greenville Mayor Errick D. Simmons said in an address threaten the community. Simmons said the city issued a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. to curb the violence, which has included multiple shootings and 'senseless killings.'
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The Mississippi Clarion Ledger first reported Foster as being the victim of a shooting in Greenville after Baylor announced without a cause that Foster had died.
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Greenville Police spokeswoman Major Misty Mew told the AP _ without disclosing the name of the victim — that officers were called to reports of a shooting in a residential/commercial area of the city shortly after midnight. Police discovered a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds inside a car.
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He was taken to a hospital and died about 30 to 40 minutes later, Mew said. No arrests have been made and police are seeking information connected with the shooting.
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'We are heartbroken by the unexpected loss of Alex Foster, a beloved member of our football family,' Baylor coach Dave Aranda and athletic director Mack Rhoades said in a joint statement. 'Our immediate focus is on supporting Alex's family and his teammates through this devastating loss. Alex's memory will forever be part of our hearts and this program.'
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Foster took part in spring practices and was entering his freshman season after redshirting last year.
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Aranda posted a separate message in referring to Foster making a 'long-lasting impact on all of us,' and adding, 'Our hearts are broken, and our prayers are with his family, friends and all those who loved him so deeply.'
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Listed at 6-foot-5 and 292 pounds, Foster was rated by 247Sports as being among Mississippi's top-20 prospects and 69th defensive lineman in the nation coming out of St. Joseph High School in Madison.
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Simmons said all nightclubs and late-night establishments in the city must cease operations at midnight as part of the curfew, with a special emphasis being placed on 'juvenile safety and parental accountability.'
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