What we know about Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy after weekend shooting

The Laurel Leader-Call reportedon Monday that Hardy was shot at around 2 a.m. Sunday at an outdoor rap concert at the Kamakazy Biker Club in Laurel, Mississippi.

Laurel is located along Interstate 59 in the southeastern part of Mississippi, just north of Hattiesburg. Hardy’s hometown of Oma is approximately 75 miles from Laurel.

“There had been a scheduled concert there of some rappers, or maybe a couple of different rappers,” Laurel Police Department Sgt. Macon Davis told the Leader-Call. "It drew a large crowd, and then gunshots rang out at the end.”

The Tribune was able to get in contact with the Laurel Police Department on Monday morning, but the department told the Tribune that it was unable to comment on any potential incident during an active investigation.

The Tribune also reached out to the Criminal Investigation Division in Laurel for comment, but that request has yet to be returned.

The report also indicated there were two victims, including Hardy.

What is Hardy’s possible timeline for a return?

Concrete details about Hardy’s status are still few and far between as of 6 p.m. Monday evening. Whether Hardy will be able to return to play football this year, or at all, remains unknown.

The closest thing to an update so far has come from Pete Thamel at ESPN, who said there is “optimism” that Hardy will be able to play football again.

Missouri football’s official team statement said a “timeline for his return to football activities is unknown at this time. Mizzou Athletics will provide more information on his status when it becomes available."

WDAM-TV reported that Hardy was treated at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, but the Tribune has been unable to verify that information.

According to a report from WJTV in Jackson, Mississippi, police said Hardy was shot in his “upper leg.”

Has anyone been arrested in connection with Hardy shooting?

According to reports from the Laurel Leader-Call and WDAM7, a local TV station, three 19-year-old suspects were arrested on the scene but have not been formally charged. The three men are Landice Magee, Jvon Sibley and Alvin Peyton, per the report.

All three men who were arrested were high school football teammates with Hardy at Lawrence  County High in Monticello, Mississippi, on a 2023 roster at MaxPreps, which was Hardy’s senior season.

The Tribune has confirmed that all three suspects were booked into the Jones County, Mississippi, jail between 3:50 a.m. and 3:55 a.m. Sunday, where they were listed as “on hold for another agency.”

According to the Jones County website, each of Magee, Sibley and Peyton were released Monday afternoon.

What happens if Hardy cannot return in 2026?

The team's immediate focus, of course, is Hardy’s health and well-being.

If the running back is unable to return in the 2026 season, the Tigers likely will turn to Jamal Roberts as the team’s primary running back. Roberts, a redshirt junior from St. Louis, rushed for 753 yards and six touchdowns primarily as Hardy’s backup last season, forming one of the better tailback tandems in the sport.

Mizzou also signed promising Houston Christian running back transfer Xai’Shaun Edwards and Montana transfer Malae Fonoti out of the transfer portal this past offseason.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Here’s what we do, don’t currently know about Ahmad Hardy shooting