Published 1 day ago • loading... • Updated 4 hours ago
18-Year-Old Ball State Football Player Dies After Shooting in Florida
The 18-year-old defensive back was an unintended victim in a shooting that injured three people, and police said the suspect or suspects remain at large.
Ball State freshman defensive back Gavin Yates-Lyons died Saturday, May 30, following a shooting in Tallahassee, Florida, that occurred on May 24. The 18-year-old was among three victims at the parking garage incident.
Caught in the crossfire, Yates-Lyons was shot at an 'unsanctioned pop-up party' held in a parking garage adjacent to Legacy Suites Apartments. The incident was unintended; he was not a target of the violence.
Before enrolling at Ball State in January 2026, Yates-Lyons graduated early from Lowndes County High School in Georgia. He had returned home to attend his graduation ceremony one day before he was shot.
The suspect or suspects remain at large as the Tallahassee Police Department continues its investigation. Two other adult male victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the shooting.
Ball State football chief of staff Pete Roley said, "Gavin was an extraordinary person," while a GoFundMe created for the family has already raised over $8,000. The school extended condolences to his family and teammates.