Michigan State freshman point guard shot in leg while on holiday break in Illinois

Updated Dec. 23, 2023 4:53 p.m. ET

Associated Press

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan State point guard is recovering after he was shot while on holiday break in his hometown.

Freshman Jeremy Fears was shot in the leg sometime late Friday or early Saturday morning in Joilet, Illinois, according to a statement from the university. Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo said in the statement that Fears underwent surgery Saturday morning and was resting comfortably.

“While there is much we still don't know, my focus is supporting Jeremy on his road to recovery,” Izzo said.

The Joliet Police Department did not immediately respond to voicemail and email messages from The Associated Press seeking details about the incident. The department did post a statement on its Facebook page Saturday afternoon saying that officers found two people shot in a residence at 3:44 a.m. Saturday. The agency identified the victims only as a 19-year-old woman and an 18-year-old man. Fears is 18, according to the Michigan State team website.

The woman had been shot in the pelvis, and the man had been shot in the thigh. Their wounds were not life-threatening.

Investigators believe the victims were inside the residence along with others when a male suspect armed with a handgun entered through the front door and opened fire before fleeing. The suspect's motive is unknown. He was still at large as of Saturday afternoon.

Fears posted a photo on his Instagram story of himself lying in what appears to be a hospital bed. The photo’s caption described the shooting as a "minor setback."

Fears recorded a career-high 10 assists in the Spartans' 99-55 victory over Stony Brook on Thursday. Players dispersed for the holiday break after that game.

Fears, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound former five-star recruit out of Joliet West High School, has appeared in all 12 of Michigan State's games this season. He is averaging 3.5 points, 3.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds, according to the team website.