Ball State University announced the death of incoming player Gavin Yates-Lyons on May 31, 2026, after he was shot during a party at Florida State University.
People Magazine noted that Yates-Lyons was already attending Ball State because he “graduated high school early in January.” The Muncie Star Press pointed out that Yates-Lyons returned to Georgia for his May 23 graduation ceremony and was shot in a parking garage the next day, May 24.
His death was announced on May 31.
Ball State football chief of staff Peter Roley used an X post to comment on Yates-Lyons’ death: “Gavin was an extraordinary person and it is difficult to express the grief we all feel. Our hearts are with his family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time. Thank you to the Ball State admin, staff and community for the support of our players and staff as we mourn.”
The Tallahassee Democrat reported that as of May 31, “the suspect or suspects” behind the shooting were still at large.
Three people, in all, were shot in the incident that left Yates-Lyons deceased.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He holds a PhD in Military History with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. He enjoys reading Philosophy and novels by Jack Carr and Nelson DeMille. He is a lever action man in an AR-15 world. Follow him on X: @awrhawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.