Grief counselors reach out to people affected by shooting at Deerfield Beach park that left high school football player critical

DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) – Counselors are on hand to talk and help South Florida students cope after a high school football player was shot. That victim is now fighting for his life.

Those counselors are being available Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday for anyone that needs to talk about the tragic incident.

Grief counselors went door to door Friday morning to check and see if anyone needed to talk about the shooting that took place Wednesday evening at Westside Park, which seriously injured a high school football player.

“He said, ‘Coach, I’m ready to go to college,’”  said Tramain Hall, head football coach for the Deerfield Beach High Bucks.

Those plans would be put on hold for 16-year-old Rickey Ferguson.

“Hearing what happened to him last night, that was rough,” Hall said.

Ferguson’s coach and friends said he is a standout football player at Deerfield Beach High School after he was shot.

He was rushed to the hospital, and remains in critical condition.

One person has been detained by police, but it is unclear whether there has been an arrest.

For Ferguson, his friends said his focus has always been about football.

“He didn’t do nothing wrong. He just played football, go home. The man don’t do nothing wrong,” said Nick Williams, a friend of the teen.

“Rickey enjoyed being around the game, enjoyed being around the locker room, enjoyed being around his teammates,” said Hall. “He’s funny, I mean, has great charisma. He’s just a very likable young man.”

The Broward Sheriff’s Office told 7News that the shooting is still under investigation.

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