High School Football Champion Xavier Mayfield Shoots Teammate in the Neck, Arrested

Just hours after South Oak Cliff High School captured another state football championship, a gathering meant to mark the moment turned violent, leaving one teenage player hospitalized and another in jail.

Dallas police say 18-year-old Xavier Mayfield, a member of the Golden Bears football team, was arrested Saturday night after a rifle discharged inside a southwest Dallas home, striking one of his teammates in the neck. The shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. in a two-story short-term rental on Knoll Ridge Drive, where players had gathered following South Oak Cliff’s 35–19 win over Richmond Randle in the UIL Class 5A Division II title game.

According to an arrest affidavit, Mayfield told officers he was holding the rifle in an upstairs bathroom when a teammate called his name from a nearby bedroom. As he turned toward the voice, the gun fired. The single shot traveled into the bedroom and hit the victim in the neck.

Police say Mayfield tried to help the injured player down the stairs, telling officers the victim was “bleeding too much” and that he intended to take him to the hospital. Before that could happen, others inside the home called 911.

One witness told investigators he had been standing in the same bedroom as the victim earlier, looking through photos from the championship game, when he saw Mayfield swinging the rifle. The witness said Mayfield claimed the safety was on moments before the gun went off.

Dallas Fire-Rescue transported the wounded player to a nearby hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. Authorities have not released further medical updates. Mayfield was arrested at the scene and booked into the Dallas County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His bond was set at $50,000. Police say the investigation remains ongoing.

Sources familiar with the case told WFAA the shooting appears to have been accidental, occurring during a postgame gathering after one of the most significant nights in the program’s recent history. The Golden Bears’ victory marked their third state championship in five years, further cementing South Oak Cliff as one of Texas high school football’s premier programs.

Both the victim and Mayfield attend South Oak Cliff High School and play on the football team. Mayfield participated in the championship game earlier that day and recorded an interception, according to reports.