Mavericks play with heavy hearts

Hours before kickoff against the Chadron State Eagles, Colorado Mesa football players were told at a team breakfast that their teammate and junior running back Brett Ojiyi, 21, of Los Angeles, was shot to death earlier that morning. 

According to a Colorado Mesa University press release and the Grand Junction Police Department, Ojiyi died of a single gunshot wound to the chest in an off-campus incident in the 1100 block of  Grand Junction’s Main Street, just minutes past midnight Saturday. 

Ojiyi was a four-year member of the team.

University officials, coaches and players decided to continue with that day’s game against the Eagles. Mavericks and Eagles players held a moment of silence in Ojiyi’s honor prior to the game. 

“The entire Colorado Mesa University community is saddened from the news that Brett passed this morning,” CMU President Tim Foster said in the release. “This tragedy touches all of us in different ways. We saw Brett demonstrate toughness and spirit so many times on the football field. He will be missed.” 

Grand Junction police said in a statement released Monday, that  after evaluating evidence and conducting numerous interviews they have ruled out suicide.  As of press time Wednesday, the department had not posted any news about whether an arrest has been made. They also asked the public to be patient with the investigation.

The official police statement also called the incident a “heart-breaking situation for everyone,” and stated the department’s “sympathies are with families and loved ones who are suffering.”