Gunshot kills WSSU student athlete at party on Wake Forest campus

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- A Winston-Salem State University football player was fatally shot early Saturday morning at a party at Wake Forest University, authorities said.

Najee Ali Baker, 21, died at a local hospital as a result of his wounds.

Baker, who transferred to WSSU in March 2017 from Dean College in Franklin, Mass., was a walk-on defensive lineman for Winston-Salem State's football team who red-shirted this past season. He is from Brooklyn, New York.

“I was shocked when I got the call and as a coach you never want to get this kind of call,” Coach Kienus Boulware said. “I spoke with Najee’s father and it’s a tough call to make to let him know that his son won’t be coming home."

Boulware said Baker would have likely had a chance to be a contributor this fall on the defensive line.

He said the WSSU team will meet at the Bowman Gray Stadium fieldhouse to talk about what happened. Counseling services will also be available.

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