Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph was one of 11 people shot after a man opened fire outside a club in downtown Minneapolis early Saturday morning.
According to the Star Tribune, police said 8 of the 11 people shot were treated at a hospital. Two of the victims are in serious condition but expected to survive.
Joseph spent four seasons with the New York Giants and is in his first with the Vikings. The team issued the following statement Saturday:
Following last night’s preseason game, Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph was an innocent bystander to the shooting that took place at the 400 SoundBar in downtown Minneapolis. Linval suffered a minor injury during the shooting when a stray bullet struck his calf. He was immediately taken to the hospital where he was treated for his injury and released. He is expected to return to his coaches and teammates this week.
The entire Vikings organization is extremely thankful that Linval was not seriously hurt, and our thoughts are with all of the victims of this shooting. The team will defer any further comment to the Minneapolis Police Department during its ongoing investigation.
Joseph has made 59 tackles each of the past two seasons and has 9 sacks in the past three. He underwent a right shoulder surgery prior to signing a five-year, $31.5 million deal with the team and missed the team’s minicamp. It’s unclear how long he will be out.
