SPOKANE, Wash. — Two teammates of a pair of Eastern Washington University football players shot over the weekend indicated that the men may have accidentally been caught in the line of fire.
Meanwhile, a local woman says she overheard the shooting and was one of the first people to provide first aid to the players.
According to Spokane Police, EWU players Dehonta Hayes and Keith Moore were injured early Saturday morning near the intersection of Division and Main on the edge of downtown Spokane. The area is home to several popular bars and is often crowded on weekend evenings.
Police haven't released circumstances surrounding the shooting and said that no suspects have been arrested.
Moore and Hayes were both transported to a local hospital with serious injuries, but are expected to fully recover.
Both Hayes and Moore are listed on Eastern's preseason depth chart as projected starters for the 2019 season. Moore is a defensive tackle for the eagles and Hayes is a safety.
Speaking at a Big Sky media conference on Monday, teammates of Hayes and Moore said the players may have been bystanders.
"It's terrible, what happened. Our guys were sadly in the wrong place at the wrong time," said EWU teammate Dylan Ledbetter of the situation. "They're both making a full recovery. They'll be all healed up."
"Just a really unfortunate thing that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It just shows you in life that you never know what can happen," said Jayce Gilder, another teammate of Moore and Hayes.
Aaron Best, EWU's coach, said that the players were doing well since the shooting.
"They're resting well. They're doing well. They have smiled a lot since the situation," Best told reporters. "The Eagle family has put our arms around them. They know that."
A woman who was nearby when the shooting occurred said that one of the players was shot in the chest while the other was shot in the face.
"It was terrifying," said the woman. Due to the shooter being at large and fearing for her safety, the woman asked to not be identified. "I'm just glad they're safe. I'm hoping they're safe."
The woman said she and some friends had recently left a bar in the area and were walking south on Division by the Red Lion bar when she heard the shooting. Prior to that, she saw the players walk into a dirt parking lot South of the Red Lion and an adjoining pawn shop.
"They rounded the corner, and about one to two minutes passed, and we heard the four gunshots," she said.
Right after that, the woman saw a white SUV pull out of the parking lot and speed away.
"As I turned to look back up the street, I saw one of the football players coming out saying he had been shot," the woman said. After encouraging the player to sit down on the sidewalk, the woman began applying pressure to where he had been shot in the chest.
After that, the woman said she walked to the lot where the shooting happened and saw the other player lying motionless on the ground. The man, who had been shot in the face, soon became cognizant. Not long after that, police and medics arrived on scene, she said.
"[The shooter] was aiming to kill. It's just crazy, you know," she said.
Prior to the incident, the woman said she didn't hear any arguing or shouting from the lot.
Best, meanwhile, didn't indicate if the Moore and Hayes would recover in time to suit up for the Eagles this season.
"They're in a good place right now," Best said. "Eating, doing what they need to do. Hugging, smiling. Those are things that I'm glad they're doing right now."