Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. is recovering after he was shot in the leg early Saturday morning in Joliet. He was home visiting family, which lives in the Marycrest neighborhood on Joliet’s West Side.
Fears is a Joliet West grad and was the 2023 Sun-Times Player of the Year.
According to Joliet Police, “officers responded to a residence in the 300 block of St. Jude Avenue for two people inside the home that had been shot. Upon arrival, officers located a 19-year-old female who had sustained a gunshot wound to the pelvis and an 18-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the left thigh.
“A preliminary investigation of this shooting determined that both victims were inside the residence with others at which time it is believed that a male suspect armed with a handgun entered the residence through the front door and began firing inside the residence, striking both victims. The suspect then ran from the residence.”
Jeremy Fears Sr. said his son had invited several teammates to East Lansing for the MSU game Thursday. They were back in Joliet on Friday night, hanging out at the house of one of Fears’ former Joliet West teammates.
“There were 20 or 25 people there just having a good time,” Fears Sr. said. “There were seven or eight people left cleaning and stuff and someone opened the door in all black and a ski mask and started shooting.”
At the time of the shooting, Fears Sr. was in Providence, Rhode Island, on a college visit with Jeremy’s younger brother Jeremiah, one of the top players in the country in the Class of 2025. The family rushed home when they heard the news.
“The bullet got stuck in the bone. He got really lucky that it didn’t hit the artery, or he could have died.”
Fears was a McDonald’s All-American last season. He has played in every game this season for the Spartans.
“Jeremy underwent surgery this morning and is resting comfortably,” MSU coach Tom Izzo said in a statement. “While there is much we still don’t know, my focus is supporting Jeremy on his road to recovery.”
Fears Sr. said the initial estimate is that his son will be sidelined for six to eight weeks. Surgery took three hours.
“Minor setback, we gone be good appreciate yall,” Fears Jr. posted on Instagram Saturday afternoon.
Both of Fears’ younger brothers are promising basketball players. Jeremiah is a junior at Compass Prep in Arizona, and Jamarri Fears is a freshman at Joliet West.
Fears Sr. said his son is in good spirits.
“He’s watching basketball now and talking trash,” Fears Sr. said. “He’s going to be fine. He’s pretty even keel in general.”
