Mike Nolan, Yonkers baseball prospect, has died

Mike Nolan, the 23-year-old baseball prospect critically injured in a Sept. 18 shooting in Yonkers, has died.

His parents had told The Journal News Thursday afternoon that Nolan was brain dead.

“This is just heartbreaking. Just totally heartbreaking,” his mother, Donna Nolan said. “For no reason whatsoever this happened to my son and it’s just heartbreaking.”

Nolan has been hospitalized at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx since being hit in the head and torso in the incident.

Mercogliano:Yonkers rallies around the Nolan family

His mother and father, Jimmy Nolan, told The Journal News Thursday afternoon at their Stockbridge Road home that they had been amazed at the outpouring of support from the community since the shooting — including the mayor, city council, friends, family — and the Major League Baseball team Oakland Athletics, which had drafted their son.

“It’s very overwhelming right now,” Donna Nolan said, but the community’s outreach has been “comforting."

"I think that’s what’s gotten us through a lot the last three weeks,” she said.

Jimmy Nolan said the family planned to donate Michael’s organs.

“It’s the right thing to do: Give people life. My son don’t have life. Whoever gets his heart, they’re going to run for … That kid used to run six, seven, eight miles a day,”  he said.

Donna Nolan had written on Facebook late Thursday morning: "You are my heart & soul and you have fought hard but I know your tired so go rest my angel it's ok."

Condolences poured in.

Early Friday afternoon, she posted this: "Heaven gained one of the most handsome funny kind hearted kid my son I know he is up there now cracking smart remarks and laughing & smiling as always !!! My heart is so broken I love you my sunshine and will forever miss you till we meet again make sure your throwing strikes up there love you with all my heart & soul RIP my angel love you mom xoxo"

Anthony Nicodemo, who coached Nolan and two of his brothers on the basketball team at Saunders High School, wrote this tweet early Thursday afternoon after news that Nolan was brain dead spread: "Completely devastated over the passing of former Captain Mike Nolan. Proud to call him a friend. The world lost a great soul today."

"Time to come together like the family that we are and support each other," he wrote. "I'll be at Saunders for the remainder of the afternoon."

Nolan was with friends at a Burger King across from the Cross County Shopping Center when five or six shots were fired at their car.

Police believe the shooting may have been related to an argument two days earlier about a drag race. Police Commissioner Charles Gardner said at the time that investigators believed the shooter was targeting someone in the group, but were not sure if that was Nolan or someone else.

On Thursday, a department spokesman, Lt. Patrick McCormack, said: "There are no arrests at this time and the investigation is continuing."

Donna Nolan said Thursday she has “all the confidence in the world” that police “are going to get them, or him, or whoever it is. We’ve just been focusing our attention on Michael and other three sons for now.”

As a senior at Saunders in 2009, Nolan led the baseball team to a program-record 15 wins. The 6-foot-7 left-hander wasn’t considered a hot commodity by colleges, but he continued to seek out opportunities.

He bounced around small colleges in Texas and Oklahoma, fought back from Tommy John surgery and developed himself into a pro prospect. His efforts were rewarded in June 2014 when he was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 18th round (552nd overall) in the Major League Baseball Draft.

The Oakland A’s sent flowers to the Nolans’ home and said “he’ll always be part of the Oakland A’s family,” Donna Nolan said.

The team on Thursday tweeted this statement from A's general manager David Forst: "On behalf of the entire A's organization I send my deepest condolences to Donna and Jimmy Nolan. Michael will always be a member of the A's family and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends for their tragic loss."

Staff writer Vincent Mercogliano contributed to this report.