Former Notre Dame and soon-to-be UAB running back Greg Bryant was declared brain dead Sunday afternoon, a day after he was found shot in a car.* He was 21.
From the AP:
West Palm Beach Police spokeswoman Lori Colombino said Bryant was declared brain dead at 1 p.m. Sunday. Her statement added the investigation into the shooting of 21-year-old Bryant is now classified as a homicide. Contacted by The Associated Press, Colombino declined further comment.
According to DonorRecovery.org, brain death "occurs when a person has an irreversible, catastrophic brain injury, which causes total cessation of all brain function (the upper brain structure and brain stem)."
A patient can be declared brain dead while receiving machine assistance for respiratory and cardiovascular functions.
The shooting occurred before 5 a.m. Saturday and Bryant was transported to a local hospital where he was listed in critical condition. Another man who was with Bryant was also found shot and he had minor injuries.
Bryant's high school tweeted and deleted a post announcing his death Saturday afternoon. Around the same time, UAB issued statements mourning Bryant's passing. However, police and Bryant's family said later Saturday afternoon that he was still in critical condition. UAB said it was told by a family member before it released the statements that Bryant had passed.
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A former five-star recruit, Bryant announced his transfer to UAB in November. He was suspended for the 2015 season at Notre Dame and ended up transferring to ASA College in Miami, close to his hometown of Delray Beach. He told Bleacher Report in January that he felt safe at UAB and was grateful for the second chance.
As of Saturday night, West Palm Beach Police said they had no information regarding Bryant's shooter. His step-grandfather had told CBS 12 that he heard someone followed Bryant from a club and drove up behind him on the interstate.

"We are trying to find answers," Bryant's grandmother Annette Kelly told CBS. "Someone is going to have to give us answers because he was just getting ready to go back to college tomorrow. He just came home for the weekend to be with his grandmother and mother, and a coward killed my baby."
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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