Alabama A&M University falsely announced the death of one of their football players. They were quick to retract their statement when learning he was alive. Although he wasn't well.
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On Wednesday, Alabama A&M University released a press release informing of Medrick Burnett Jr.'s death. Athletic director Dr. Paul Bryant made the statement. It was taken down later in the day after receiving word that he's alive.
The university told TMZ that they were misinformed by an immediate family member. "We retract the news of the passing of Medrick Burnette Jr, that was originally advised by an immediate family member on Tuesday evening. Our staff acted accordingly to the wishes of the family member to inform the A&M community and beyond of this unfortunate occurrence."
Burnett may have been alive, but he was not doing well. The football player, 20, had suffered a head injury after a direct collision during one of his football games, according to a GoFundMe set up by his sister.
Football Player Hospitalized During Game Then Mistakenly Pronounced Dead
He was admitted to hospital and suffered with "several brain bleeds and swelling of the brain." He celebrated his 20th birthday on October 27 in the ICU, a day after the incident happened.
It's likely a family member thought he had died and informed the university. In the statement, they went on to explain that a representative from UAB hospital told them he was alive. "We express our immediate regret for disseminating false information however, we hold complete joy in knowing that Medrick remains in stable condition," they said.
It's unknown which family member told the university of Burnett's death, and if it was a mistake. It's unlikely to have been a purposeful action.
Currently, over $40,000 has been raised for his medical bills. According to an update yesterday, he is having a hard time in hospital. It's unclear if this is purely mentally, physically, or both.
It is concerning to some that such devastating false news was so easily spread. It seemed there was no further confirmation or effort made by the university to get more details or confirm the tragic fact.
