Michigan State's Micajah Reynolds Helps Save Teenage Gunshot Victim

By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak

DETROIT (CBS DETROIT) - Thanks to Michigan State defensive tackle Micajah Reynolds, an 18-year-old Lansing man is expected to survive life-threatening gunshot wounds to the head, arm and body that were sustained in what police believe was an attempted robbery.

Reynolds was driving home in the early morning hours of July 31 when a teenager flagged him down. Reynolds saw the individual had been shot and stopped to help.

"Nobody else was around, and he was bleeding pretty badly," Reynolds said at Michigan State's media day Monday. "I whipped my car around in the middle of the street and jumped out and ran over to him and helped him out. I put pressure on his wounds and stuff. He had been shot in the head. I've still got my shirt and all my clothes over at the house that are completely drenched in his blood and stuff. Thank God he made it."

Reynolds recounted his conversation with the 18-year-old, whom he tried to comfort as he tried to stop the teenager's bleeding.

"I'm holding him, cradling him and putting pressure and telling him, 'Hey, everything is going to be OK, everything is going to be all right,'" Reynolds said. "He's telling me, 'I'm dead,' and I said, 'You're not dead, you're sitting here talking to me. You're gonna be fine, just hang on, just keep fighting.' I felt like I was spotting someone on the bench and being like, 'Man, you can do it. Just relax and keep going. You got it and all that.' Thankfully, he made it. I haven't really spoken to the family since I've been in camp and stuff. He was stable and everything the last time I checked."

As much as players are focused on football, with the season just weeks away, the incident gave Reynolds a different view.

"I didn't sleep for a couple days, just because it made me consider life is delicate," Reynolds said. "Life is so delicate. You don't think about things like that happening until it's happened. Just thinking, I was like, 'What if my son would've been in that situation? Would somebody else have stopped?' Thankfully, he made it and everything, but it makes you consider and be thankful and so grateful for everything that you're given."