Sone Falealo is a redshirt freshman offensive lineman for Washington State. After starting at Idaho, he transferred to WSU and hadn’t played for the Cougars yet when tragedy hit early Sunday morning after the 2025 Apple Cup. Falealo was working as security at an off-campus apartment party near Pullman when the tragedy started to escalate. Jakori Cezon Buchanan, a 20-year-old University of Washington student, got into several heated altercations during the party.

Falealo and a couple of his teammates were asked to help keep the peace due to prior noise complaints. They even intervened multiple times, but then finally Falealo confronted Buchanan. He took him outside, knocked him down, and helped restrain him. That’s when Buchanan pulled a handgun, struck Falealo with it, and fired a shot into his abdomen. Falealo was rushed to the hospital quickly. He underwent surgery to remove the bullet. Luckily, no organs were hit.

He’s recovering with family and teammates while authorities search for Buchanan, who fled in a rental car.

Uilisone Falealo’s early life

Sone Falealo’s story starts in Anchorage, Alaska, where he grew up and built his toughness. Growing up in Anchorage, Sone was a big, strong kid who naturally gravitated toward football. He made a name for himself at West Anchorage High School. The guy was a beast in the trenches, anchoring the offensive line and helping lead his team to a state championship. Plus, he had technical skill, leadership vibes, and that grit you love in an offensive lineman.

Even though he’s from a place not known for college football talent, Sone never let that stop him. He first went to Idaho, where he didn’t get any game action. But then he quickly found his way to Washington State. Sone’s rise from low-profile Alaska football to the Power Five is what makes his story so inspiring.

Uilisone Falealo’s football career and achievements

Sone Falealo’s football career started at West Anchorage High School, where he was an offensive lineman. At 6-foot-6 and nearly 290 pounds back then, Sone dominated the line of scrimmage and earned top honors. That includes being named MVP of the Alaska 5A football scene. After high school, Sone initially headed to the University of Idaho. But that came to a dead end.

That’s when his move to Washington State was a big jump in both competition and exposure. Faleolo’s been developing as a redshirt freshman offensive lineman with the Cougars. A physically gifted player, he worked hard behind the scenes to improve (6’6 and 300 pounds), preparing for his moment to shine. Plus, his background as an MVP in Alaska gives a hint at the talent and strong work ethic he carries.

Uilisone Falealo’s shooting incident

Sunday morning took a dramatic turn that nobody in Pullman saw coming. Sone Falealo found himself in the middle of a scary shooting incident that’s been making headlines and shaking the WSU community. A normal post-Apple Cup weekend hangout erupted into chaos outside an off-campus apartment near downtown Pullman. Falealo was working security at an apartment party. He was trying to keep things under control after noise complaints had been flagged.

The culprit was a WSU student himself. Jakori Cezon Buchanan was the main centre of all the chaos. He was creating a lot of disturbance inside, which led to Falealo and some of his friends and teammates, Jaylin Caldwell and Xavier Thorpe, reacting to that situation. They were trying to control the menace, and that’s when things escalated really fast. It started to get physical when they took Buchanan outside. But in a shocking twist, Buchanan suddenly pulled a gun.

He struck Falealo with the handgun once, then fired a shot that hit Sone in the abdomen, at about 1:45 a.m. Sunday at the Aspen Heights Apartments on the 3100 block of Northwest Cottonwood Lane. Talk about a nightmare situation! Thorpe called 911 and told police he saw the suspect and his group jump into a dark sedan and take off. The WSU confirmed that the victim was Falealo.

“Washington State University can confirm that one of our student-athletes was the victim of a shooting that occurred at an off-campus gathering,” read a University statement. “The student is currently recovering, and his family is with him in Pullman.”

Suspect in Uilisone Falealo shooting

Jakori Cezon Buchanan was linked to be the main suspect in this incident. He was the very person who was causing chaos during the party, and when Falealo and his friends went to confront him, he didn’t take it the right way. Buchanan legit pulled a 9mm pistol on Falealo, the cartridge casing of which police found at the crime scene. Buchanan is a Black man, about 5’7” and 143 pounds.

Witnesses last saw him wearing a white shirt, blue jeans, and white shoes, and court records list his last known address in Tukwila, Wash. As per reports, the cops are not searching for the vehicle Buchanan used to escape. Why? Someone returned a 2025 Hyundai Sonata rental car with Minnesota plates REW514 to Sea-Tac airport. Police have a warrant out for Buchanan on first- and fourth-degree assault charges. Police believe he might be in the Seattle area with others and warn he’s armed and dangerous. Anyone who spots him should call police right away

Uilisone Falealo’s current health status

Sone Falealo’s road to recovery after the shooting has been a mix of relief and resilience. After the incident, paramedics rushed him to Pullman Regional Hospital for emergency surgery to remove the bullet lodged in his abdomen. The good news is that the bullet missed vital organs, and doctors expect him to make a full recovery. Despite the trauma, Sone told police he “didn’t remember much after that.” This proves how intense the moment was.