Mizzou RB Ahmad Hardy was leaving concert in car during shooting, police say
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- Ahmad Hardy was shot while inside a vehicle trying to exit a concert in Laurel.
- Hardy was taken to Forrest General Hospital with an upper leg wound and is stable.
- Three suspects are currently in custody but have not been charged.
Missouri Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy is believed to have been an innocent bystander attending a rap concert in his home state when he was struck by gunfire, Laurel, Mississippi police told The Star.
Hardy was at a rap concert at Kamakazy Biker Club in Laurel on Sunday morning around 2 a.m., Laurel police Sgt. Macon Davis told The Star. Police believe that, after the concert, a crowd formed in the parking lot and gunfire “erupted,” Davis said.
Hardy was a passenger in a vehicle aiming to exit the scene when he was shot, Davis said. Davis called the scene “mass chaos” due to several vehicles aiming to leave at once.
“As I understand it, Mr. Hardy was already inside a vehicle trying to get off of the property, and was shot while in the car, which was very unfortunate for him,” Davis told The Star.
In the early stages of the investigation, Hardy is not believed to have been involved in the events that led to the shooting, Davis said. Police are currently searching for the cause of the gunfire.
Hardy was one of at least two gunshot victims; he was taken to Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with an upper leg wound. Davis couldn’t specify which leg he was shot in.
Three suspects are currently in custody but have not been charged. Charges have yet to be handed down in the shooting, Davis said.
Mizzou Athletics released a statement Monday morning announcing the news and stating Hardy is in stable condition. His timeline to return to football is unknown.
He is alert and moving around with optimism that he will play football again, according to ESPN insider Pete Thamel.
“Ahmad is deeply loved by his teammates, coaches, friends, family and fans,” the school’s statement read. “We will continue to stand beside him and his family through this difficult time, offering our love, prayers, strength and support.”
Hardy, 20, is a Brookhaven, Mississippi native. Brookhaven is located about 80 miles west of Laurel in southern Mississippi.
Hardy spent his freshman year at Louisiana-Monroe, where he was named Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, before he transferred to Mizzou last season.
In Columbia, he became one of the best running backs in the nation, leading the SEC with 1,649 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. Hardy is the second Missouri player to rush for 250 or more yards in two separate games in a season.
His stellar season ended with earning SEC Newcomer of the Year, and he received some Heisman buzz as a consensus All-American.
