- College football star Brian Battie in critical condition after shooting in Florida
- His 24-year-old brother, Tommie Battie IV, was pronounced dead at the scene.
- DailyMail.com provides the latest international sports news.
Auburn Tigers running back Brian Battie is in critical condition after a shooting in Florida that killed his brother, Tommie Battie IV, according to multiple reports.
The 22-year-old college football star was shot in the early hours of Saturday morning in a Sarasota parking lot.
His 24-year-old brother was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene, while Brian was taken to a local hospital.
Four other people were injured in the crossfire and transported to hospitals in Manatee and Sarasota counties.
Deputies responding to the incident “observed a large crowd with multiple gunshot victims in the parking lot,” according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
Auburn Tigers running back Brian Battie in critical condition after shooting in Florida
He was taken to a local hospital after the shooting in which his older brother died.
Authorities said the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident, although they did not reveal what instigated the violence.
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.
“He was just a tough kid. And he really cared about his teammates,” his former coach said.
It’s still unclear what sparked the incident early in a Sarasota parking lot Saturday morning.
One of Brian’s high school football coaches. told the Sarasota Herald-Tribute that he was “the most talented player I have ever coached.”
‘He was a two-time All-American in college. You don’t find that very often. He had an unbelievable explosion,” Brody Wiseman told the outlet on Sunday.
‘His ability to accelerate was better than anyone I’ve ever seen. She could cut in the blink of an eye. And he was a great worker. “I think a lot of people missed it,” the Mariners offensive coordinator added.
“He was just a tough kid. And he really cared about his teammates. He never acted like he was more important than anyone else. On the field he had great vision. He’d see a hole, he’d hit it a million miles an hour. and he disappeared. I never saw anyone face him one on one. He was always the second and third man.