Jags’ Collier shot, has life-threatening Injuries
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP)—Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Richard Collier was shot and critically wounded outside an apartment building early Tuesday as he and a former Jacksonville teammate waited for two women they had met at a nightclub, police said.
Collier, 26, and former Jaguars defensive end Kenneth Pettway were waiting in a Cadillac Escalade when a gunman fired into the vehicle, said Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office spokesman Ken Jefferson. Collier was shot several times, but it wasn’t clear where he was hit.
Collier was in critical condition at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, a nursing supervisor said early Tuesday. Later, spokesman Chris Turner said the hospital was no longer giving updates on Collier’s condition. There are a variety of reasons that can happen, such as a request by relatives.
The motive behind the attack was unknown, and the sheriff’s office was investigating. Pettway, who was released in final cuts Saturday, was not injured.
The shooting happened around 2:45 a.m. in a middle- to upper middle-class neighborhood just west of downtown Jacksonville and blocks from the St. Johns River. The players had gone to the apartment complex so the women could drop off their car, authorities said.
The women, who appeared to be in their 20s, were wearing nightclub dresses when they were escorted by police back to the complex midmorning Tuesday, but they declined comment. Jaguars spokesman Dan Edwards declined comment at the hospital. The team planned to release a statement later in the day.
Collier is the third NFL player to be shot in the past 18 months. Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor was fatally shot during what police said was a botched burglary attempt at his Miami-area home in November. Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was killed when his rented limousine was sprayed with bullets minutes after leaving a New Year’s party at a downtown Denver club in 2007.
