Olivet baseball player shot after game in Ohio; injuries not life-threatening

A college baseball player from a Michigan school was shot multiple times following Olivet's game in Ohio on Friday.

The shooting incident occurred shortly after 7 p.m. in New Concord, Ohio, on the campus of Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio, in the eastern part of the state. The unidentified player was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threating injuries and released to his parents, according to Olivet College.

Olivet said in a statement Saturday that "the rest of the team is safe." The team stayed overnight in the New Concord area Friday, and returned to Michigan on Saturday.

"The college is in communication with the student-athletes and their parents and will continue to provide support in the days ahead," Olivet said in a statement Saturday. "This is a challenging time for all involved and our attention is focused on support the student-athletes and staff members.

"Please keep your fellow Comets in your thoughts and prayers."

The investigation is ongoing, Muskingum University said. Three law-enforcement agencies responded to the 911 call of shots fired, including campus police, New Concord police and the Muskingum County Sheriff's Department.

According to a statement from Olivet, the player went back to the dugout at Mose Moorehead Baseball Field to retrieve a forgotten item, and that's when the incident occurred around 7:03 p.m. Muskingum University officials issued a shelter-in-place order for the campus at 7:23 Friday night, before the suspect was taken into custody at 7:45, according to the university. The shelter-in-place order was lifted at 9:15 p.m.

After 2 a.m. Saturday, Franklin Grayson, 26, was booked by the Muskingum County Sheriff's Department, having been accused of felonious assault. Olivet confirmed Grayson was the suspect in the case, and said Grayson is a 2021 Olivet graduate. Olivet said law enforcement knows of no relationship between the alleged shooter and the victim. On his LinkedIn account, Grayson said he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and management from Olivet, graduating in 2020. He participated in a commencement ceremony in 2021. An Olivet spokesperson didn't respond to a message to clarify any current connection between Grayson and the college.

aw enforcement also stated they have no indication of a relationship between the parties

A man with the same name has a LinkedIn account saying he attended Olivet from 2016 through 2020, graduating with a bachelor's degree in business administration and management. Olivet documents show a man with the same name participating in 2021 commencement ceremonies, after 2020 graduation ceremonies were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Olivet player who was shot was treated at the baseball field, while first responders worked to evacuate fans from the area, before he was transported to the hospital.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to this young man, his family and his teammates," Muskingum University president Sue Hasseler said in a letter to the campus community Saturday, detailing the shooting.

She said the Olivet player who was shot was in "stable" condition following the "senseless act of violence," and added that the university offered and provided counseling and support to Olivet players.

Olivet athletic director Haley Diringer referenced the statement provided by the college Saturday, when asked for additional comment by The News. A message left by The News with Olivet head baseball coach Santiago Mendez wasn't returned Saturday. Spokespeople for the Muskingum campus police and the Muskingum County Sheriff's Department declined additional comment on the incident and the suspect.

Olivet was in Ohio to play four games — two against Muskingum and two against Penn State-Behrend — and on Friday night, Olivet, a Division III school between Jackson and Kalamazoo and southwest of Lansing, won its first game of the season, 8-6 over Muskingum, after starting the season 0-12.

The remaining three games of the trip for Olivet were canceled.

Muskingum University canceled campus athletic events through the weekend.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984