18-Year-Old Baylor Lineman Shot Dead in Hometown

Baylor Bears defensive lineman Alex Foster has tragically died at age 18, gunned down in a car in his hometown of Greenville, Mississippi, the AP reports. The shooting early Wednesday came amid a "surge in violent crimes" in the city, including "senseless killings," Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons said at a press conference, announcing a 9pm-6am curfew is in effect in response. In the case involving Foster, police responded to reports of a shooting in the city just after midnight and found a man with multiple gunshot wounds inside a vehicle. He died half an hour after arriving at a hospital, per ESPN. Coming out of St. Joseph High School in Madison, Foster was rated among Mississippi's top 20 prospects by 247Sports.

Listed at 6'5" and 292 pounds, he redshirted last year and was due to start his freshman season with Baylor. "We are heartbroken by the unexpected loss of Alex Foster, a beloved member of our football family," coach Dave Aranda and athletic director Mack Rhoades said in a joint statement, adding their "immediate focus is on supporting Alex's family and his teammates through this devastating loss." Simmons said the curfew is intended "to protect the lives and well-beings of every Greenville resident in light of this growing crisis." "We cannot stand by and let violence rip through our neighborhoods. Enough is enough," he said. He noted all late-night establishments in the city will be required to cease operations at midnight. (More Mississippi stories.)