Freshman College Football Player Killed in Shooting At 18

An incoming college freshman football player was shot and killed only a couple of months before he was scheduled to make his debut.

Mycheal Edwards-Wallace, 18, was preparing for his first season at Division II Newberry College in South Carolina when he was one of four people shot in an incident at an apartment complex in Kingstree, S.C. on Sunday night.

Edwards-Wallace and Edwin Cooper, 16, lost their lives, while two other people were hospitalized. The shooting remains under investigation. 

Edwards-Wallace had been an all-state, all-area and all-region selection as a two-way lineman at Kingstree High School. Newberry College released a statement on his passing Monday.

"Newberry College is mourning the loss of incoming football student-athlete Mycheal Edwards-Wallace," the school said. "Edwards-Wallace was an offensive and defensive lineman for Kingstree High School. He was a South Carolina Football Coaches Association Class AA all-state selection, as well as an all-area and all-region pick as a senior. He also participated in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, the nation’s oldest high school all-star game, featuring 44 of the top players from North Carolina and South Carolina."

Newberry head coach Todd Knight also weighed in with a statement of his own, calling Edwards-Wallace's death a "tragedy."

“Our hearts go out to his family,” Knight said. “It’s such a tragedy for a talented young man to be struck down at a young age. He was a good student and a great young man with a terrific personality and a bright future. We were really excited to have him as part of our team. He will always be part of our Newberry family.”

Edwards-Wallace's death comes a little over two months before Newberry's season opener against UVA Wise on Sep. 6.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, coaches and teammates during this difficult time.