Utah Player Is Shot After Confrontation

University of Utah basketball player Paul Afeaki was under police protection in Salt Lake City Friday while detectives searched for a man who allegedly shot him in the left shoulder after a traffic confrontation.

Afeaki, 22, a 6-foot-10 reserve center, was treated at the school’s Health Sciences Center late Thursday for what spokesman John Dwan described as a superficial wound to the left shoulder. No surgery was necessary, but Dwan said doctors estimated that Afeaki would not be able to play for about a month.

According to Coach Rick Majerus, Afeaki and his wife had eaten at a fast-food restaurant after a game and were returning home. Afeaki might have inadvertently cut off another car, which then started tailgating him. The driver rolled down the window and fired a .45-caliber pistol, Majerus said.