Michigan State track standout Tony Martin, who in a decorated career at Saginaw High School shattered the state's outdoor long-jump record, died in an early morning shooting Sunday at a Saginaw gas station, his high school coach, DeEddie Sanders, told the Free Press. He was 19 years old.
A 22-year-old man accompanying Martin also died in the shooting, Sanders said, but details about what prompted the shooting weren't immediately available.
The shooting took place at the Sunoco gas station at 1944 E. Genesee Ave. According to WNEM-TV in Saginaw, police responded to the shooting just after 2 a.m. Martin, who was not identified in the news station's story, died at the scene, the station reported. The 22-year-old man died at a local hospital.
"In shock, really," Sanders said. "(We were) pretty close. He loved track. He was a good guy, never got in trouble."
Attempts to contact the Sunoco gas station were not successful. As of late Sunday, no arrests had been made.
In high school, Martin shattered the state's long jump record with a leap of 26 feet, 6 inches, tying the legendary Carl Lewis for the country's seventh-longest outdoor jump and falling four inches shy of the national record. He also played for the school's football team before signing to compete in track and field at Michigan State.
Martin made his MSU debut Dec. 6 at the Grand Valley State University Holiday Open, where he finished second place in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.95 seconds. He had top-five finishes in the 60-meter and 200-meter sprints, finishing fifth and fourth, respectively.
"We send our condolences to the family and fiends on the passing of Tony Martin," the Michigan State track and field program said in a statement on Twitter.
"He had a lot of potential in track," Sanders added. "That was his first love, long jumping and sprinting."
Martin set college personal records in the long jump (6.66 meters) and the 60-meter dash (6.92 seconds) at the Power Five Invitational from Jan. 31 to Feb. 1. He logged times of 22.44 seconds in the 200 and 7.10 seconds in the 60 at the Music City Challenge.
Martin's personal best in the 200 (21.93 seconds) came at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in late February, where he also competed on the 4x400 relay team and in the long jump.
"He was an easy-going guy," Sanders said. "He always did his schoolwork, and he never missed school."
Former MSU basketball player and Flint native Miles Bridges, now with the Charlotte Hornets, tweeted Sunday about Martin's death: "R.I.P.," Bridges tweeted.
Funeral arrangements were not immediately clear.
