Auburn Tigers running back Brian Battie is “still on a ventilator” after he was shot Saturday morning.
Coach Hugh Freeze asked fans to “pray” for the college football star following the shooting death of his older brother, Tony Battie IV, over the weekend.
‘Chestnut family. Please continue to pray for Brian Battie. There was a setback last night and he is still on a ventilator,” Freeze wrote in X Monday.
Brian was taken to the hospital in critical condition after being injured in a Sarasota parking lot in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Authorities said the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident, although they did not reveal what instigated the violence.
Auburn running back Brian Battie is “still on a ventilator” after he was shot Saturday morning.
His coach, Hugh Freeze, asked fans to ‘pray’ for him after the ‘senseless’ shooting in Florida
the description of a GoFundMe page The Battie Family Benefit organization sadly confirmed Tony’s passing.
‘On May 18, 2024, the Battie family received the most devastating news that Tommie and Brian were victims of a senseless shooting,’ the message began.
‘It is with great sadness and great regret that we have to share the unexpected passing of Tommie Battie IV (Pooh). Brian Battie remains in critical condition at a local hospital.
The caption also urged fans to pray for the 22-year-old athlete’s “full recovery.”
“We know you will continue to fight and overcome this, just as you have overcome so many other obstacles in your life,” the message said.
“There was a setback last night and he’s still on a ventilator,” Freeze wrote on X Monday.
Brian was taken to a local hospital after the shooting, in which his older brother died.
It’s still unclear what sparked the incident early in a Sarasota parking lot Saturday morning.
‘Losing a child so unexpectedly is something unimaginable and something that will never be healed. The family will never be the same without Pooh, and neither will anyone who has had the pleasure of knowing him.’
The 24-year-old was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene, while four other people were injured in the crossfire and taken to local hospitals.
Brian ran for 1,842 yards and scored 10 touchdowns in three seasons playing at South Florida.
He transferred to Auburn for the 2023 season and rushed 51 times for 227 yards and a touchdown.
One of Brian’s high school football coaches described him as “the most talented player he has ever coached” in an interview with the tribute to the herald of sarasota.
“He was just a tough kid. And he really cared about his teammates,” Brody Wiseman told the outlet on Sunday.
“He never acted like he was more important than anyone else. On the field he had great vision. He’d see a hole, hit it a million miles an hour and be gone. I never saw anyone take him one on one. He was always second and the third man.”