Andray Blatche Shot

Henninger Star, NBA Pick Andray Blatche Is Shot
Monday, September 26, 2005
By Mike Waters
Staff writer

Andray Blatche, a 19-year-old Syracuse native who was selected by the Washington Wizards in the second round of the NBA Draft in June, was shot in an apparent robbery near his home in Alexandria, Va., Sunday morning.

Blatche was shot once in the chest as two assailants approached a car in which he was a passenger around 6:30 a.m., according to an Alexandria, Va., police report. After the shooting, the driver of the car, who was not named in the report, drove to Blatche's home in the Washington, D.C., suburb and called police. Ambulance personnel responded and Blatche was taken via helicopter to Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Va.

Blatche was listed in serious but stable condition, according to a police spokesman. Blatche's mother, Angela Oliver, of Syracuse, received a telephone call from the Alexandria police early Sunday morning.

"It's the phone call no mother ever wants to get," she said. She and several family members rushed from Syracuse to the hospital.

"He's doing OK," Oliver said late Sunday night from the hospital. "He's breathing on his own. The bullet didn't hit any vital organs. He's been sedated, but he's been talking to me when he's come out of it."

According to the police report, Blatche was in a car with two friends when they noticed a van following them. When they pulled over, two men wearing masks stepped out of the van. One man ordered Blatche out of the car and then shot him before Blatche could get out.

Oliver said the bullet passed through Blatche's body, missing his heart by an inch.

"They almost took his dream away," she said. "And for what?"

Police in Alexandria said no arrests have been made in the shooting.

Blatche, a 6-foot-11 forward, signed a two-year contract with the Wizards just last month. He was living in Alexandria and preparing for the start of the team's preseason training camp on Oct. 4. The Wizards' first preseason game is on Oct. 10 and the regular-season opener is on Nov. 5.

This is just sad, why on earth would someone do this to someone like Andray.

that's sad. at least he's ok now.

"After the shooting, the driver of the car, who was not named in the report, drove to Blatche's home in the Washington, D.C., suburb and called police."

No cell phone...?

Shit, so unlucky.. Wish him the best

Damn very sad news, hopefully he'll pull through ok

I guess someone was jealous of him

that's sad

Yeah I guess, but whats even sadder is that shit happens to people all over the world every day...

I guess someone was jealous of him

....Or they wanted his iced/blinged out Escalade.

I see you have post number 666 , you damn devil . Anyways , Good luck to Andre

That can't be good for the Wizards. I'm interested to see how Blatche develops, he was one of my favourite highschool picks in the draft. I hope he'll get better before the regular season starts.

does this jeopardize him of a guarnteed contract? i know its not against contracts to be shot in a car by random shits, but like will he be waived because hes not healthy enough to be in uniform?

I don't think Andray is going to be waived... Car jacking is just wrong.

Think of the message the Wizards would send to the NBA if they did waive him! Ok, he got shot, we'll release him... Just extrapolate on that and we get the entire rapper east coast - west coast thing all over again...

I wish he makes a speedy recovery and gets back on track with his NBA career.

Luckily the injury doesn't seem all that bad, as no major organ was damaged so he should be back on his feet rather soon... Damn shame... Damn shame that there are people who are willing to do this kind of shit to another human being.

Yeah, they wont waive him! That would make his life even worse!!

Good to hear that he's stable. Here's hoping he can make a full recovery and one day begin his NBA career...but most importantly live a full, healthy life.