Ball State basketball player Zach Hollywood was found dead Tuesday, the school confirmed. He was 19.
The school informed all student-athletes about the death in a letter Tuesday. Hollywood, a redshirt freshman forward last season, was found dead at his off-campus apartment. Delaware County coroner Scott Hahn ruled the death as an apparent suicide.
"On behalf of Ball State University, it is with profound sadness that we learned today of the passing of Zachary "Zach" Hollywood, a student from Bradley, Illinois. Zach has been a part of our community for the past year. During his time on campus, he was a member of the men's basketball team and made many positive impressions throughout campus. This is a tragedy. Our heartfelt condolences are with his family, friends and teammates.
"For members of our Ball State family who need support during this difficult time, we encourage them to take advantage of the numerous resources available on- and off-campus."
Jeremie Tyler and Trey Moses were among the teammates who took to Twitter to express their shock.
Words can't even explain how hurt I am to lose a teammate, a friend, a brother! We love you HollyWood! You will always be apart of us Zach☝🏾
— Jay (@worldboy_22) August 22, 2017
Not just a teammate but my best friend and my brother .. I love you bro , watch over me 🙏🏾 https://t.co/tHtUUpIi1n
— Trey Moses (@treymoses32) August 22, 2017
Hollywood, from Kankakee, Illinois, averaged 17.5 points and 7.8 rebounds and was a second-team All-State selection as a senior at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School.
"Zach was a terrific young man with an incredibly bright future in front of him," Ball State coach James Whitford said in a statement. "His loss is a true tragedy for all those who knew and loved him.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected, especially Zach's family. This is an incredibly hard moment for everyone."