Police reveal additional details on shooting that injured Jeremy Fears

The Joliet Police Department has released more details on the shooting that injured Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears. Fears suffered a leg injury and underwent surgery on Saturday, the university said.

The incident took place at approx. 3:45 a.m. CT Saturday morning. Police said Fears and a 19-year-old female were inside a home when a male suspect entered and started shooting. Fears was hit in the thigh and the woman suffered a gunshot wound to the pelvis, according to the statement.

Police do not have a suspect in custody, they said.

“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 statement read. “The suspect then ran from the residence.

“Both shooting victims were transported to Ascension St. Joseph Medical Center by the Joliet Fire Department in stable condition. Both injuries are considered to be non-life threatening. Officers conducted an extensive canvass of the area but were unable to locate the shooting suspect. At this time, the motive and intended target of the shooting are unknown and still under investigation.”

Michigan State confirmed Fears suffered a leg injury in a Saturday statement, and Tom Izzo said Fears is recovering from surgery. Fears then took to Instagram to share a message after his surgery, saying it was a “minor setback,” but he’s “gone be good.”

Fears’ father, Jeremy Fears Sr., told The Detroit News’ Madeline Kenney his son’s surgery was a three-hour operation on his thigh. It’s likely Jeremy Fears Jr. will be out about two months, he said.

“At this point now, it’s just the road to recovery,” Fears Sr. told Kenney.

Fears played high school basketball at Joliet West High School, where he was a four-star recruit. He was the nation’s No. 41 overall recruit and the top recruit in the state of Illinois from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

So far through his freshman season, Fears has played a reserve role for Michigan State. In 12 appearances, he’s averaging 3.5 points and 3.3 assists per game as the Spartans went through an up-and-down start to the year. His biggest game came against Georgia Southern when he had six points and 10 rebounds to help lead Michigan State to the 86-55 victory.