Auburn running back Brian Battie is ‘still on a ventilator’, reveals his coach after ‘senseless’ shooting in Florida that also killed his brother
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 that killed his older brother, Tony Battie IV, over the weekend.
‘Auburn Family. Please continue to pray for Brian Battie. There was a setback last night and he’s still on a ventilator, ‘Freeze wrote on X Monday.
Brian was taken to the hospital in critical condition after being injured in a Sarasota parking lot early Saturday morning.
Officials said the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident, although it was not revealed what sparked 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 A scheme for the benefit of the Battie family sadly confirmed Tony’s death.
“On May 18, 2024, the Battie family received the most devastating news that Tommie and Brian were the victims of a senseless shooting,” the message began.
“It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we share the unexpected passing of Tommie Battie IV (Pooh). Brian Battie remains in critical condition at a local hospital.”
The description also urged fans to pray for the 22-year-old athlete’s “full recovery.”
“We know he will continue to fight and overcome this, just as he has overcome so many other obstacles in his life,” the message read.
“There was a setback last night and he is still on a ventilator,” Freeze wrote on X on Monday
Brian was transported to a local hospital after the shooting, which killed his older brother
It remains unclear what prompted the incident early Saturday morning in a Sarasota parking lot
‘Losing a child so unexpectedly is something unimaginable and something that will never heal. The family will never be the same without Pooh, and neither will anyone who 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 rushed for 1,842 yards and scored 10 touchdowns during three seasons 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] ever coached’ in an interview with the Sarasota Herald Tribute.
“He was just a tough guy. 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 saw a hole and hit it at a million miles an hour, and he was gone. I’ve never seen anyone tackle him one on one. It was always the second and third men.’