Medrick Burnett Jr., 20, a linebacker for Alabama A&M, has died following a head injury suffered during a game in October.
News of his death was originally reported via a statement from the Alabama A&M Athletics account on X on Wednesday morning, but was retracted that evening.
“We retract the news of the passing of Medrick Burnette Jr., that was originally advised by an immediate family member on Tuesday evening,” the statement read. “Our staff acted accordingly to the wishes of the family member to inform the A&M community and beyond of this unfortunate occurrence. Upon hearing from a representative from UAB hospital this afternoon, we learned that he remains alive. We express our immediate regret for disseminating false information however, we hold complete joy in knowing that Medrick remains in stable condition.”
Statement from Athletics
We retract the news of the passing of Medrick Burnette Jr, that was originally advised by an immediate family member on Tuesday evening. Our staff acted accordingly to the wishes of the family member to inform the A&M community and beyond of
— Alabama A&M Athletics (@_AAMUAthletics) November 27, 2024
joy in knowing that Medrick remains in stable condition.
— Alabama A&M Athletics (@_AAMUAthletics) November 27, 2024
According to the Associated Press, the Jefferson County coroner listed Burnett’s official time of death as occurring on Wednesday evening.
During the day on Wednesday, many outlets reported on the death following Alabama A&M’s public statement, resulting in widespread confusion once the university retracted the statement later that day. It’s not the first instance in which deaths have been wrongfully reported in the media, though this circumstance is unique in that the news initially came from an official source.
Still, it highlights the importance of being incredibly careful when reporting on deaths to try and avoid situations like this one.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.