Michigan State track athlete fatally shot in Saginaw

Michigan State track athlete Tony Martin died after being gunned down early Sunday at a gas station parking lot in Saginaw.

He was 19.

Saginaw High track and field coach DeEddie Sanders confirmed Martin's death. 

"It's a sad, sad thing," said Sanders, adding the news was hard for him as he's known Martin since he was in eighth grade.

"He was a good kid. A good athlete. Track was his favorite sport. He also played football."

Sanders said Martin never got in trouble or missed school. He had aspirations to go to the Olympics, he said.

"That was his main goal," he said. "He always wanted to be the best."

According to WNEM-TV in Saginaw, Martin was one of two men fatally shot in the early morning shooting at a Sunoco gas station in Saginaw.

The incident happened around 2:19 a.m. at 1944 E. Genesee St. According to WNEM, Martin died at the scene while a 22-year-old man died from gunshot wounds at the hospital.

A third shooting victim, a 25-year-old woman, arrived at a local hospital with a non-life-threatening injury to her arm.

Saginaw Police Department couldn't be reached for comment Sunday.

Michigan State Track & Field posted a tribute to Martin on its Twitter page Sunday afternoon. “We send our condolences to the family and friends on the passing of Tony Martin,” read the post which included a "Rest in peace" graphic showing images of Martin.

According to his profile on the Michigan State Track and Field roster, Saginaw was Martin's hometown. Martin made his debut as a freshman with a second-place finish in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.95 at the Grand Valley State University Holiday Open in December.

He registered two top-five finishes in the 60-meter dash and 200-meter at the Simmons-Harvey Invitational in January. During his first collegiate long jump, he also took sixth place with a jump of 6.66 meters at the Power Five Invitational earlier this year.

cwilliams@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @CWilliams_DN