Stedman Bailey out of surgery, stable after gunshot wounds to head
St. Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey was shot in the head Tuesday night in South Florida, and is in stable condition, according to the Miami Gardens police department.
Bailey is currently resting in a Miami intensive care unit and underwent surgery on Wednesday, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. Bailey is expected to remain there for several days to recover. Fisher said the surgery lasted four to six hours, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that it lasted closer to nine hours. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoportreports doctors are hopeful after doing “extensive work.”
Bailey was in a car with Antwan Reeves and three other passengers, two of which were young relatives, at the time of the shooting. Reeves has life-threatening injuries after shielding the children from bullets, Rapoport reports. He was taken into surgery upon arriving at the hospital.
No other passengers were injured during the shooting, according to the police, who have opened an investigation into the incident.
“We are aware Stedman Bailey was involved in an incident this evening,” the Rams said in a statement. “We have spoken with Stedman and he is in the hospital in critical, but stable, condition. We are gathering facts about the situation and will provide updates as we learn more.”
Bailey was a third-round draft pick of the Rams in 2013, and has caught 59 passes for 843 yards and two touchdowns in three years with the team. He is currently serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL substance abuse policy.
He played his college ball at West Virginia, and had a record-setting junior season in 2012 before entering the draft. He set a school record with 1,622 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns, and earned first-team All-America honors.
Several players around the league took to Twitter to offer prayers and support.
- Kenny Ducey
