IUPUI mourns accidental shooting death of runner
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – IUPUI is mourning the loss of one of its student-athletes who died in an accidental shooting Thursday.
Police say freshman cross country and track runner Jacob Graf died when a gun accidentally discharged in his family’s Logansport home, the Pharos-Tribune reports.
Investigators said the 18-year-old was with a friend in the living room while his parents were asleep.
The paper reported police said neither drugs nor alcohol appeared to be a factor. A lieutenant working the case was quoted calling the incident a “shame.”
IUPUI head coach Chuck Koeppen called Graf a tremendous teammate and friend with big goals and a bright future.
“It hurts to lose someone of his character and his caliber at such a young age, but we take comfort in knowing how huge of an impact he made in a short period of time. Our prayers most certainly go out to his family,” Koeppen said.
According to IUPUI, Graf recently made his college debut, running the mile at the Dec. 5 Mastodon Opener in Fort Wayne. He was studying pre-criminal justice.
The university honored Graf on its website Friday.
