UPDATE (9/10/25)
3:30 p.m.
Gadsden County Sheriff's Office says another person has been taken into custody for the shooting of Ethan Pritchard, making the total number of arrests to four people thus far.
Several law enforcement agencies plan to hold a news conference at 4:00 p.m.
UPDATE (9/10/2025)
Havana Police tell WTXL ABC 27 that arrests have been made in the shooting of FSU football player Ethan Pritchard.
Pritchard was shot on August 31st while taking his aunt home. Havana Police plan to hold a news conference at 4:00 p.m.
This is a developing story.
UPDATE (9/3/25):
Community members took a walk and a prayer against violence… local community members gathered and did an organized prayer walk here in Havana Heights to go against the violence that has been going on in this area in the last couple of months.
Seniors in Havana are taking to the streets — holding a prayer walk near the Havana Heights Apartments. They say it’s their way of bringing awareness to the violence that’s been shaking their neighborhood over the past few months.
The Gadsden County Sheriff Morris Young said,”It takes a split second for somebody to pull the trigger.and most times that's a coward. So you have three incidents that happened out here.”
The Gadsden County Sheriff’s office confirms there have been at least three shootings in that same area in just the last couple of months. The most recent…the shooting of FSU football player Ethan Pritchard…who was shot in the back of the head Sunday night.
No new updates have been released on his condition — but he has received an outpouring of support from people across the nation. Deputies say they’re still investigating and following up on tips from the community.
Community members say they support their neighbors through this tough time,and say they are going to do whatever it takes to take a stand against violence inside of their community.
*A GoFundMe has been started for Ethan Pritchard. If you'd like to donate, click here.
UPDATE (9/2/25):
Law enforcement is still working to find out what led up to the shooting of an FSU football player, tracking down leads and speaking with community members in hopes of identifying a suspect.
The Gadsden County Sheriff's Office confirms they visited the Pritchard family at the hospital today to offer support as Ethan continues to fight for recovery.
I visited the campus of FSU Tuesday and spoke with several students. They did not want to appear on camera, but told me they had heard about the incident. They say it’s heartbreaking. Many added they’re wishing Ethan a full and speedy recovery.
The Gadsden County Sheriff's Office is reminding people, if they have any information, to reach out to Big Bend Crime Solvers or call (850) 574-TIPS.
Original:
An FSU football player is in the hospital after he was shot in the head. His family says he was driving his aunt home from a family gathering in Havana on Sunday night.
- Ethan Pritchard, a linebacker for Florida State, was shot near the Havana Heights Apartments.
- His father says doctors are monitoring swelling in his brain while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates this case.
- Watch the video to hear from the victim's father, and a neighbor who witnessed the shooting.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Tonight we are hearing from the father of the FSU football player who was shot Sunday evening in Havana.
"We just ask the community and everybody for their prayers," says Earl Pritchard.
He says his son is still heavily sedated. Speaking to our ABC affiliate in Orlando, Pritchard says his son Ethan was driving his aunt home from a family gathering in Havana Sunday evening.
When his son turned the corner near Havana Heights apartments, things took a dangerous turn.
"He was actually in the car taking my sister around the corner to her daughter's house to drop her off. They turned the corner, and as soon as they turned the corner, they heard gunshots," Earl Pritcard said.
One of those gunshots would hit Ethan in the back of the head while driving, according to his father.
Pritchard says doctors are monitoring the swelling in his head while making sure nothing has changed for the worse.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is leading the investigation. Monday, along with the Gadsden County Sheriff's Department, they were at the Havana Heights apartments, still processing the crime scene and door knocking.
"She said, William, William get on the floor, get on the floor. So I got on the floor. That's when I heard the shots," says William Chuckes who lives nearby.
He says he heard the gunshots. He said when he went outside to see what was going on, he saw a car riddled with bullet holes, slammed into his shed.
"The young man was still in the car. and they were kind of dealing with him trying to check his vital signs and all of that kind of stuff. I wasn't worried about the shed back then. I'm worried about the young man in the car."
Ethan, a linebacker for FSU from Sanford, Florida, was a three-star recruit for the Seminoles. FSU head coach, Mike Norvell, offered his support for the Pritchard family Monday.
"I got a chance to be there, you know, last night with him and his dad and family. [I'm] grateful for all the support and medical support that he was able to receive. The football team, coaches, family, we're all here to support them. [We're] absolutely believing and praying for all parts of him and the journey that's ahead," Norvell said in a press conference Monday.
This shooting has left the community searching for answers, and a young athlete facing a long road ahead. Investigators are still working to determine who is responsible.
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