Former Mississippi State WR Chris Smith was killed on Friday night in a shooting in Meridian, Mississippi.

His Bulldog teammates took to Twitter to express their sadness over Smith’s passing.

On Saturday afternoon, Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen released a statement expressing shock at the death of his former player:

“We are shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Chris,” said MSU head coach Dan Mullen. “Our entire Mississippi State family mourns his loss. Chris was an important part of our first recruiting class and helped set the foundation for our success. He was a terrific teammate and his work ethic was impeccable. He earned his way onto the field as a true freshmen in 2009 and later received his degree from Mississippi State. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of his family and friends.”

Smith played for the Bulldogs from 2009-12, catching 109 passes for 1,180 yards and five touchdowns. He was 26 years old.