Terry Roberts, LI Nets guard, shot in chest by stray bullet outside Philadelphia bar
Terry Roberts drives the ball toward the net during a game against the Maine Celtics at the Portland Expo in Maine on Nov. 19. Credit: Getty/Portland Press Herald
A Long Island Nets guard was shot in the chest by a stray bullet Sunday morning after gunfire broke out on the streets outside a Philadelphia bar, according to the team and local police.
Terry Roberts, 23, of North Amityville, who plays for the Nets' NBA G League team, was found on the sidewalk shot in the upper chest at around 12:45 a.m. outside the 5th Street Lounge on North Fifth Street in Philadelphia's Olney section, authorities said.
No arrests have been made in the shooting, which remains under investigation, authorities said.
“Preliminary investigations suggest that multiple offenders believed to have exited a Silver Nissan Altima indiscriminately fired shots toward patrons outside the lounge before fleeing the scene,” Philadelphia police said in a statement. “In response, an armed private security guard arriving at the venue returned fire, though it remains uncertain whether any of the offenders were struck.”
Police said Roberts was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center in critical condition, where medical staff provided immediate care, police said.
“Terry Roberts was the victim of a crime on Sunday morning in Philadelphia, and we are in the process of gathering more information about the incident,” the Nets said in a statement. “He is currently in stable condition, and he is expected to make a full recovery. Our thoughts are with him and family at this time. Due to the ongoing law enforcement investigation, we will have no further comment.”
The player's parents told an ABC affiliate in Philadelphia that Roberts has been taken off a ventilator and is now able to communicate.
Roberts, who played college basketball at the University of Georgia, is averaging 6.2 points per game this year for the Nets.
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
