One day after topping the Raiders in their preseason opener, the Minnesota Vikings have released a statement regarding an incident involving defensive tackle Linval Joseph.
The team revealed that Joseph was an "innocent bystander to the shooting that took place at the 400 SoundBar in downtown Minneapolis. Linval suffered a minor injury during the shooting when a stray bullet struck his calf."
Joseph was treated at a nearby hospital and is expected to return to the Vikings this week, according to the team.
"The entire Vikings organization is extremely thankful that Linval was not seriously hurt, and our thoughts are with all of the victims of this shooting," the Vikings wrote on their website. "The team will defer any further comment to the Minneapolis Police Department during its ongoing investigation."
On Sunday, Joseph released a statement through the team: "I appreciate everyone's thoughts and concerns over the past 24 hours," it said. "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."
Joseph signed a five-year, $31.5 million contract with the Vikings in March after spending his first four seasons in the league with the New York Giants.
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