Ball State football confirmed that 18-year-old defensive back Gavin Yates-Lyons died Saturday, May 30 following a shooting in Tallahassee, Florida on May 24.<\/p>\n
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2014 An incoming Ball State<\/a> freshman football player has died after being shot in a Florida parking garage last week.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ball State football confirmed that 18-year-old defensive back Gavin Yates-Lyons died Saturday, May 30.<\/p>\n According to NBC affiliate WALB in Georgia<\/a>, Yates-Lyons was critically injured in a shooting early in the morning on Sunday, May 24.\u00a0<\/p>\n WALB reports that the shooting occurred in a parking garage in Tallahassee, Florida and that police believed it may have been the result of an “unsanctioned pop-up party.”<\/p>\n Yates-Lyons reportedly had just graduated from Lowndes County High School, which is located in Valdosta, Georgia, hours before the shooting.\u00a0<\/p>\n “We extend sincere condolences to his family, friends, coaches, teammates and all who held him close. May you find comfort and strength during this challenging moment,” Ball State Football wrote in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n We mourn the passing of Gavin Yates-Lyons. <\/p>\n We extend sincere condolences to his family, friends, coaches, teammates and all who held him close. May you find comfort and strength during this challenging moment. pic.twitter.com\/nXiQP0ZM8c<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) May 31, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n