Fitzgerald Football Standout and UGA Signee EJ Lightsey Shot in Local Incident
EJ Lightsey, a standout linebacker for Fitzgerald High School and recent UGA football signee, was shot and wounded in a local city park in Fitzgerald, Georgia, late Monday afternoon.
According to Fitzgerald football head coach Tucker Pruitt, Lightsey suffered “serious, but non-life-threatening” injuries. Pruitt said Lightsey was taken to an Albany hospital following the shooting.
“I heard that they were at a local park and people just started shooting,” Pruitt said.
Lightsey, who was a three-year starter for Pruitt, helped lead Fitzgerald to back-to-back Class 2A state championship games in 2020 and 2021, with the Purple Hurricane winning the title last season.
Lightsey recently signed a letter of intent with the University of Georgia to continue his football career. Whether the shooting will impact his ability to play football is unclear at this point.
Pruitt said the Fitzgerald community is pulling for their hometown football hero.
“EJ is a great kid and has an incredibly bright future,” Pruitt said. “We are all just hoping and praying that he makes a full recovery.”
ITG Next will continue to monitor this developing story and provide updates as more information becomes available.
