Winnipeg high school football player who sustained spinal injury in game has died

WINNIPEG — A high school football player who sustained a severe spinal injury in a game earlier this month died in hospital Wednesday night, the Winnipeg School Division said Thursday.

“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we inform you that Grade 12 student Darius Hartshorne, a lineman for the Sisler Spartans, succumbed to his injuries last night,” the division said in a statement.

Support services were being made available for teachers, staff, teammates and other students at Sisler High School.

An online fundraiser said Hartshorne was hurt while being tackled during a game Oct. 17, underwent emergency surgery and spent time in intensive care. The fundraiser, set up when Hartshorne was injured, had raised $52,000 by Thursday afternoon.

Politicians at the Manitoba legislature paid tribute to the teen.

Opposition Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan, a former CFL player, said Hartshorne had turned 17 Saturday.

“It’s sad to see a life taken so soon,” Khan said, his voice breaking.

Premier Wab Kinew also offered condolences.

“All of us as Manitobans spend so much of our lives around the field, the rink, the diamond. And it’s where so many of the good times happen,” he said. “When you have something like this happen, it really pulls at the heartstrings.”

Severe injuries in school athletics are rare, but there have been recent instances in the United States.

A 13-year-old football player in West Virginia died last year after receiving a head injury in practice. An Alabama high school football player also died last year after suffering a brain injury during a game.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2025.

— with files from The Associated Press

The Canadian Press