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Linval Joseph Injured in Nightclub Shooting? His First Statement Will Touch Your Heart!

By Jonathan Franks
Published on: 02:01 PST, Aug 10, 2014

Linval Joseph, defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, was injured in a nightclub shooting early Saturday morning by a stray bullet. At the time of the shooting, his team was celebrating their preseason win against the Oakland Raiders.

According to an official statement released by the Minnesota Vikings, Linval Joseph suffered a “minor injury” when he was struck in the calf by a stray bullet.

“Linval Joseph was an innocent bystander to the shooting that took place at the 400 SoundBar in downtown Minneapolis…He was immediately taken to the hospital where he was treated for his injury and released. He is expected to return to his coaches and teammates this week.”

On Sunday, Linval Joseph released an official statement for the first time since the shooting to tell his side of the story.

“I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and concerns over the past 24 hours. I am extremely thankful that this was a minor injury for me. As the team has communicated, this was an unfortunate situation where I, along with several others, was an innocent bystander to a senseless act. My thoughts are with all of the victims at this time. I am looking forward to getting back onto the field with my teammates in the near future.”

According to a confirmed report from Minneapolis news station KSTP-TV, nine people were injured in this nightclub shooting including Linval Joseph. Two of them suffered serious injuries, but fortunately everyone injured is expected to survive.

As of right now, it is not clear whether or not this gunshot wound will prevent Linval from attending training camp sessions or if he will even be 100 percent when his team plays the first game of their regular season. However, based on the statement provided by the Minnesota Vikings about his condition, Linval Joseph should be able to make a full recovery in a relatively short period of time.

The news of the shooting saddened many people, including loyal Vikings fans that were getting excited about the potentially successful season that their team might have this year. Based on the reactions posted on Twitter, more people seem to just be happy about the fact that Linval Joseph was not seriously injured or even killed in this tragic event.

Linval Joseph was preparing to start his fifth season as an NFL athlete. He spent the first four years of his career playing for the New York Giants, helping them to win a Super Bowl title in 2012. Linval Joseph also had a reasonably strong season in 2013 playing for the Giants, having 3 sacks and 33 tackles.

Back in March, Joseph accepted a five-year, $31.5 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings.

[Image Credit: Gannett-CDN & CBS Minnesota]

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