Former Memphis Tigers football player La’Andre Thomas has died following an officer-involved shooting in Georgia, an incident that remains under investigation. He was 27 years old.

 

 

 

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, officers from the Sandy Springs Police Department were dispatched to the Dunwoody Place area around 10:30 a.m. on December 4 after a 911 caller reported being assaulted while walking her dog. Authorities later identified Thomas through surveillance footage and located him at a bus stop near the 8000 block of Dunwoody Place.

 

 

Officials said Thomas approached officers and spoke with them before allegedly reaching for his waistband. The GBI stated that during the interaction, Thomas pulled a handgun, after which one officer fired, critically injuring him. Thomas was rushed to a nearby hospital but later pronounced dead. The GBI confirmed it is investigating the shooting.

 

 

Thomas was a standout high school football player in Mississippi and ranked among the top 40 players in the state by ESPN. He led Wingfield High School to the MHSAA 5A playoffs and earned multiple honours, including First Team All-State. He later committed to Memphis in 2017 as a defensive player, finishing his college career with 80 total tackles, two interceptions, including a pick-six, one sack and a forced fumble.

 

 

 

Tributes have poured in on social media, including from his former mentor Mario Winston, who described him as “an amazing young man” and said he “will be missed not just for his skills but for the impact he had on my life.”