Freshman Punter Killed in Gun Accident

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http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/10194164/'Shocked':-S.-Miss-punter-killed-in-gun-accident

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - Southern Miss officials say walk-on punter Peter Wilkes has been killed in an accident involving a gun.



A news release from the school says Wilkes was shot Thursday night in his hometown of Union City, Tenn., and died Friday morning.
Wilkes was not a member of the Golden Eagles' travel party to Louisville for Saturday's game and was at home during the school's fall break. He made an early push to win the job at punter during preseason practice, but has not played this season.
Coach Larry Fedora says coaches and players are "shocked and devastated" over Wilkes' death.

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Not suprisingly, the media got it wrong and the kid is still actually alive.



http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/10196442/Punter-who-was-proclaimed-dead-is-still-alive



HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - Peter Wilkes, a walk-on punter at Southern Miss, is in critical condition at a Memphis, Tenn., hospital after being shot at his home in Union City, Tenn.

Regional Medical Center officials said Friday that Wilkes was being treated in a critical care unit.
Union City Assistant Police Chief Perry Barfield said the case is under investigation as an accident or self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Southern Miss officials retracted an initial news release that said Wilkes was shot Thursday night in an accident and had died Friday morning. Southern Miss spokesman Jack Duggan said in a statement Friday afternoon that Wilkes suffered an "irrecoverable injury" Thursday night.
Wilkes was not a member of the Golden Eagles' travel party to Louisville for Saturday's game and was at home during the school's fall break. He made an early push to win the job at punter during preseason practice, but has not played this season.
Coach Larry Fedora said coaches and players are "shocked and devastated."

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Most of the media are in way to big of a hurry to get a story out to check the facts.

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The second story says it was the school that issued an errant press release, not the newspaper that was wrong.

They are also describing the injury as "irrecoverable", so he's probably on life support until organs can be donated. Just a guess.

Sad situation.

TFred