Greg Bryant, a college football player at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, is alive but has been declared brain dead after being shot early Saturday, according to reports.
Some news outlets incorrectly reported that Bryant, 21, died after WPEC-TV's Lynda Figueredo tweeted about the incident.
Bryant and passenger Maurice Grover were found shot in his car on Interstate 95 in Palm Beach, Florida, early Saturday morning,
The Associated Press reported.
Grover, 25, was hospitalized with minor injuries.
Police are investigating the shooting as a homicide and seeking witnesses, the AP said.
"It is still sinking on everybody," Justin Thaddies, a close friend of Bryant,
told WPEC-TV. "I have been crying all day."
Bryant's Grandmother Annette Kelley told the station that Bryant was in town for Mother's Day.
"This boy here was a great boy," Kelley said. "Whoever did this just come forward and say you did this."
Bryant was found at about 4:45 a.m. Saturday.
"We are trying to find answers," Kelley said according to separate
WPEC-TV report. "Someone is going to have to give us answers because he was just getting ready to go back to college tomorrow. He just came home for the weekend to be with his grandmother and mother, and a coward killed my baby."
His step-grandfather, Sam Kelley, told the station that he heard that a car following Bryant pulled up beside him and someone started shooting.
After the shooting, Bryant was in a medically induced coma, according to the station.
Bryant, a Delray Beach, Florida, native, played one season for Notre Dame before he was ruled academically ineligible and transferred to ASA College,
the Palm Beach Post reported. He signed with the University of Alabama-Birmingham last November.
Twitter users shared condolences and tributes to Bryant.