Mercer basketball player shot, killed in parking lot
Members of the Mercer men's basketball team and the university student body were in mourning on Tuesday following the news of senior guard Jibri Bryan's tragic passing. Bryan, 23, was shot and killed on Tuesday afternoon in the parking lot of a convenience store in Macon, Ga., according to a police report obtained by multiple media outlets.
"Jibri Bryan was a special young man who was a great contributor to our team and did everything that was asked of him," Mercer coach Bob Hoffman said in a statement released by the school. "He was important to us in every way. I loved him and cared about him from the very first time he was on our campus. We grew to be very close over the years. Our thoughts and prayers are with his special family."
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Bibb County Sheriff David Davis told the Macon Telegraph that Bryan was killed from a gunshot wound to the head and was found in the driver's seat of his Chevy Monte Carlo outside of the Flash Foods convenience store in Macon. Davis told the newspaper that the gunman shot Bryan at point-blank range and fired several shots, also potentially injuring another person according to security footage. The shooter's motive was unclear, Davis said.
Bryan, who returned to action in Mercer's win against Samford after missing 10 games due to injury, started all 35 games for the Bears last season and averaged 7.8 points a game. He was a member of Mercer's memorable Cinderella team that stunned Duke in the 2014 NCAA tournament.
Bryan, a Savannah, Ga., native, leaves behind a 2-year-old son.
"First and foremost, my heartfelt sympathy goes out to the Bryans," Mercer athletic director Jim Cole said in a statement. "The Mercer athletic family is deeply saddened by Jibri's passing. Jibri was always cheerful and greeted everyone in the department with a smile. He will not only be missed by his basketball family but by all of us in the University Athletic Department."
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