UAB Football Player Allen Merrick Dies at Age 19 After Suffering Gunshot Wound

UAB freshman linebacker Allen Merrick died Friday after suffering a gunshot wound Thursday in his hometown of Gadsden, Alabama. He was 19.

ESPN's Alex Scarborough reported the news. Gadsden police captain Bobby Jackson told Carol Robinson of AL.com an investigation is ongoing but the preliminary details suggest it was an accidental shooting.

Blazers head coach Bill Clark released a statement earlier Friday prior to news of Merrick's death, per Robinson:

"Please pray for the family of Allen Merrick, a young man who joined our UAB Football Family this season. Allen was visiting home in Gadsden yesterday when he suffered a gunshot wound. He is at UAB Hospital where I've been with Allen's family, but I do not have a condition I can share at this time. I ask that everyone please respect his family's privacy and keep them all in your prayers."

No further details about the shooting were immediately available.

Merrick joined UAB as a 3-star prospect in its 2020 recruiting class after being named the 2019 Gadsden City Defensive Player of the Year.

He's the second member of the Blazers' 2020 class to die during the offseason. Defensive back Jamari "Chop" Smith drowned in May in a Chewacla State Park lake in Alabama.

UAB, a member of Conference USA, is set to open the regular season Sept. 10 against Miami, though the fate of this fall's college football season remains uncertain amid the coronavirus pandemic.