Former Colts running back Zurlon Tipton dies in accidental shooting at Michigan car dealership
NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 28: Zurlon Tipton #37 of the Indianapolis Colts carries the ball during the second half of a game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on December 28, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
ROSEVILLE, Mich.– A former Indianapolis Colts running back died Tuesday after a gun in his car was accidentally discharged.
Tipton pulled into the service bay at a Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership in Roseville, Michigan around 9:30 a.m., according to WJBK.
He went to take a duffel bag out of the trunk of his vehicle, and one of the two guns inside the bag reportedly went off. He was struck in the stomach. Tipton was taken to the hospital in good condition, but later died. He was 26 years old.
No other injuries were reported.
On December 25, 2015, Tipton was arrested in Greenwood on charges of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon after he reportedly went to his girlfriend’s home and shot a round from a Colt AR-15 assault rifle into the house.
Zurlon and his brother, Cortez Tipton, had left a party in Brownsburg upon receiving texts from Zurlon’s girlfriend that her life was in danger due to threatening text messages from her ex-boyfriend. As it turned out, the boyfriend was not in the house and the Tiptons fled. They were caught a short time later by Greenwood police.
Tipton was signed by the Colts after going undrafted in the 2014 NFL draft. He was waved by the Colts on December 21, 2015.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Donte Moncrief shared his condolences on Twitter and Instagram: