Glen Pysher, a New Jersey college baseball player, has died after being shot by police when he mistakenly tried to enter the wrong home. He was 23.
Pysher, known by his friends as Bubba, was out at a bar in Upper Pottsgrove, Pennsylvania, celebrating a friend’s birthday, on Saturday, August 22. The group then decided to move the party to a friend’s house. Pysher was shot and killed when he accidentally arrived at the wrong house and tried to get inside.
Pysher was set to play baseball at Saint Elizabeth University in Florham Park, New Jersey, in the spring. He transferred from Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
“He ended up at the wrong house after having a few drinks,” Glen’s mom, Erin Pysher, told ABC6. “He didn’t know that, so he was knocking on the door, saying, ‘Hey, let me in.’ Thinking it was his friend’s house, but it wasn’t.”
The couple inside became frightened and called 911. Local police responded to what they believed could be an attempted break-in and an “encounter ensued.” Glen was fatally struck, according to a statement from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, shared via Facebook. An investigation is underway.
“12:32, he was on the phone with his friends. By 12:35, I believe he’s already shot,” Erin said. “So, within a few minutes, the cop pulled up and shot him. He was unarmed. He had a cell phone and a book bag.”
She remembered him as a “lovable goofball” who didn’t have a “care in the world.”
“He will walk in the back door and say his favorite thing, ‘Hey mom, your favorite kid is home,’” Erin recalled. “He was just happy-go-lucky.”
A GoFundMe was set up to help the Pysher family at such a difficult time. As of Tuesday, August 25, more than $24,000 has been raised.
“Everyone who knew him will remember his love for baseball and the joy he found in catching balls, something that brought so much pride to his father, mother, three sisters, and the entire Pysher family,” the GoFundMe description reads. “Bubba meant so much to so many, and his loss has deeply shaken all who loved him.”
The description continued, “100 percent of every contribution will go to the Pysher family immediately. The Pysher family has always been the kind of people who would do anything for anyone, and now they need that same love in return. Please consider donating, sharing this fundraiser, and keeping Bubba and the entire Pysher family in your prayers.”
