Texas high school football player facing charges after allegedly shooting teammate, but his explanation to police raises questions

Xavier Mayfield, an 18-year-old high school football player, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly shot a teammate in the neck. The incident happened just hours after their championship victory. Mayfield plays safety for South Oak Cliffs High School in Dallas.

According to People, the shooting took place at a home on the 6400 block of Knoll Ridge Drive in Dallas. The victim, whose name has not been released, was shot in the neck and taken to a local hospital. He is now in stable condition. Mayfield is being held in Dallas County Jail with his bond set at $50,000.

Mayfield’s story to police has raised serious questions about what actually happened that night. He told officers he was on the second floor of the house, walking from the bathroom to his bedroom, when the victim called his name. According to Mayfield, he turned around and a single shot went off from the AR-style rifle he was holding.

Carrying an AR-style rifle between rooms seems highly suspicious

The key issue here is why Mayfield was carrying an AR-style rifle while simply moving between a bathroom and bedroom. This detail makes his claim of an accidental shooting very hard to believe. It’s extremely unusual for someone to be walking around a house with that type of weapon for no clear reason.

After the shooting, Mayfield said he tried to drive the victim to the hospital himself and called 911 before leaving the house. While this shows he was concerned about getting help quickly, it doesn’t explain why he had the weapon in the first place or how it discharged. In other legal news, a Texas rancher faces a lawsuit from State Farm over a confusing dispute.

The Next Generation Action Network, a Dallas civil rights organization, released a statement on Monday, December 22, saying the shooting was completely accidental. They confirmed the victim was Mayfield’s teammate and insisted there was no intent to harm anyone.

Even if this was truly an accident, the charges reflect how serious it is to have an AR-style rifle go off and injure someone in the neck. Mayfield should have been celebrating his team’s championship win, but instead he’s sitting in jail facing major legal problems. The shocking nature of the charges mirrors other disturbing cases where seemingly innocent situations turned into serious criminal matters.

This case will likely get a lot of attention from the community as more details come out. Whether accidental or not, a high school athlete shot his teammate just hours after their biggest victory of the season.