Four arrested in connection with shooting of Florida State linebacker Ethan Pritchard
Authorities say Pritchard was shot in the back of the head; three suspects face attempted murder counts while a fourth is accused of violating probation
Four people were arrested in connection with the shooting of Florida State University freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard, authorities announced Thursday, as the player remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said the 224-pound freshman "was not doing anything wrong" when he was shot in the back of the head while inside a vehicle in Havana, Florida. The arrests followed an investigation into the late‑August shooting that left Pritchard at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.
Gadsden County authorities arrested Jayden Bodison, Caron Miller, Germany Atkins and an unnamed minor and booked them into the Gadsden County jail, Sheriff Morris Young said. Bodison, Miller and the minor each face three counts of attempted murder and one count of shooting into an occupied vehicle; Atkins was arrested on an alleged probation violation, officials said. It was not immediately clear whether any of the suspects had retained attorneys.
Sheriff Young told reporters he believes the shooting was a case of mistaken identity. The FDLE announced the arrests but did not release additional details about the alleged motive during Thursday’s briefing.
Pritchard, who sat out Florida State’s season-opening upset of No. 8 Alabama on Aug. 30, was shot the next night while driving his aunt home after a family gathering, his father, Earl Pritchard, told WFTV in Orlando. "They turned the corner, and as soon as they turned the corner, they heard gunshots," his father said. Doctors have been monitoring swelling in his head following surgery, the elder Pritchard said.
Coach Mike Norvell, who recruited Pritchard, spoke about the player’s condition this week and highlighted his contributions to the program. "I got a chance to watch him grow," Norvell told reporters. "The way that he plays the game, it's a passion, energy. He loves it, absolutely loves it. To know that right now that's taken away from him in a senseless act ... I do believe that God has his hand over Ethan and this football team and just all the relationships."
Earl Pritchard attended Florida State’s Week 2 win over East Texas A&M from the sidelines, and Norvell quoted him saying he would "go stand in his place for him." Law enforcement officials have not released a timeline for charging decisions beyond the counts announced Thursday, and the investigation into the shooting remains active.
The arrests mark a substantive development in a case that has drawn attention from teammates, coaches and the broader college football community. Authorities urged anyone with additional information to contact the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office or FDLE while the probe continues.