- College football star Brian Battie is in critical condition after a shooting in Florida
- His 24-year-old brother, Tommie Battie IV, was pronounced dead at the scene
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Auburn Tigers running back Brian Battie is in critical condition after a shooting in Florida that left his brother, Tommie Battie IV, dead, according to multiple reports.
The 22-year-old college football star was shot early 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.
Officers responding to the incident “observed a large crowd with multiple shooting victims in the parking lot,” according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
Auburn Tigers running back Brian Battie is in critical condition after a shooting in Florida
He was transported to a local hospital after the shooting, which killed his older brother
Officials said the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident, although it was not revealed what sparked the violence.
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.
‘He was just a tough guy. And he really cared about his teammates,” his former coach said
It remains unclear what led to the incident early Saturday morning in a Sarasota parking lot
One of Brian’s high school football coaches told the Sarasota Herald-Tribute that he was ‘the most talented player’ [he] ever coached.”
“He was a two-time All-American in college. You don’t come across that very often. He had a great outburst,” Brody Wiseman told the outlet on Sunday.
“His ability to accelerate was better than anyone I’ve ever seen. He could save on a dime. And he was a very hard worker. I think a lot of people missed that,” the Sailors offensive coordinator added.
‘He was just a tough guy. 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 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.’