The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers opened their college football season with a 46-14 blowout victory over the Rice Owls on Thursday night. But just a few hours after the game, a very good night turned into a very scary night for the WKU program.

According to the Bowling Green Daily News, WKU redshirt junior defensive lineman Trae Jones was hit by a stray bullet outside a Bowling Green nightclub sometime after 2 AM on Friday night, and suffered “a non-life-threatening gunshot wound”:

Trae Jones, 21, was taken to The Medical Center for treatment of a non-life-threatening gunshot wound that he apparently suffered just after 2:15 a.m. at Chocolate City, a nightclub at 421 Scott Way, according to Bowling Green Police Department spokesman Officer Ronnie Ward.

Jones is a redshirt junior defensive lineman from Cusseta, Ga. The incident occurred hours after WKU defeated Rice 46-14 in the Hilltoppers’ season-opening game at Houchens-Smith Stadium.

Police are investigating the incident and haven’t released much additional information thus far.

Western Kentucky issued a statement on the news Friday morning:

“Junior defensive lineman Trae Jones was wounded in his left shoulder by a stray bullet earlier this morning at an off-campus location,” the statement said. “The injury is non-life threatening, he received no large structural damage, and is under physician care.

“Bowling Green Police have not levied any charges against Jones. All other police matters should be directed to the Bowling Green Police Department.”

[Bowling Green Daily News]

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor at The Comeback. He attended Colorado State University, wishes he was Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, and idolizes Larry David. And loves pizza and dogs because obviously.

He can be followed on Twitter at @Matt2Clapp (also @TheBlogfines for Cubs/MLB tweets and @DaBearNecess for Bears/NFL tweets), and can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.