It's always tragic when a life is cut short. An 18-year-old had his whole life ahead of him, but he tragically died in a hunting accident earlier this week.
The Alachua County community is in mourning. The Florida high school football player died in a hunting trip gone wrong. Now, his friends and family are remembering him as a bright spot in their lives. On Sunday, the Alachua County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of an 18-year-old getting shot off Williston Road.
Details of the shooting remain scarce at this point. However, officers are calling the shooting a hunting accident. After the shooting, the community identified the victim as Malachi Lancaster. Lancaster was an active presence at Newberry High School. He had just been crowned homecoming king a few months ago. Additionally, he was a senior football player.
His parents played an active role in the community as well. They are Activate Church pastors Joel and Sophie Lancaster. In a heartfelt social media post, they mourned the passing of their son.
18-Year-Old Dies
"It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of our dear son, Malachi Lancaster," the family said.
Gary Bracewell, the pastor at Christian Life Fellowship Church, also mourned the loss of the 18-year-old. At the time, his parents were out of town when the accident occurred.
"[The family] was actually out of town when this happened and they were making their way back to Gainesville, and they contacted me to meet them at the hospital," Bracewell said. "Malachi was just a wonderful young man. He was full of love and adventure — he was an entrepreneur. He was a grown-up in a young man's body."
The church set up a fundraiser to help the family with any burial needs. At this point, it's believed to be an accident, but authorities are investigating
"Preliminary information indicates that the firearm was accidentally discharged. The victim was transported to Shands Hospital and later died from the injury. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family and friends during this difficult time," state investigators said.
