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The New York Giants drafted Corey Ballentine in the sixth round of this year's draft. The cornerback and his friend went out to celebrate him being drafted but both were shot—with his friend tragically dying.
According to reports, the man who shot Ballentine and Dwane Simmons (Ballentine's friend) was charged in the shooting. Francisco Alejandro Mendez was charged in the shooting of both and is being charged for first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
Mendez is currently being held on a $1 million bond and it is unknown when the case will appear in court. Ballentine's head coach at Washburn University Craig Schurig was the one who let Ballentine know the news.
“You could tell there was a relief in his voice,” Schurig said. “It just helps — it helps to know that the people responsible are starting to get caught. And this is a big step. It was nice to be able to communicate with him some really good news.”
Reportedly, Ballentine and Simmons were going to an off-campus party to celebrate Ballentine being drafted. That was when the unfortunate events ensued and Simmons passed away. It's unfathomable to think what the Simmons family is going through.
For Ballentine, he was shot in the rear end and missed OTAs and minicamps with the Giants due to his injuries. Since then, he has recovered from his injuries and seems ready to go for training camp in a couple of weeks.
In college at Washburn, Ballentine was a standout on defense five interceptions, four forced fumbles, and 186 tackles in his collegiate career. Undoubtedly, Ballentine is motivated to rise to NFL stardom with Simmons being a reason to make it.
