After his brother was slain in an early-morning shooting on Saturday, Brian Battie, the running back for the Auburn Tigers, suffered grave injuries.
According to Sarasota County sheriff deputies who talked with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, five persons were shot during an incident that occurred over the weekend in a parking lot at Tallywood Centre Plaza in Sarasota, Florida, including Brian and Tommie Battie.
When first responders arrived at the scene of the shooting at the nearby shopping center, they observed a sizable throng encircling several wounded.
Tommie Battie, 24, was pronounced dead at the spot by the authorities; Brian Battie, 22, was taken to the hospital and is still being treated in the intensive care unit.
Brian Stultz, a staff writer for Auburn Sports, which covers Auburn University athletics in Alabama, stated in a post on X, the former name of Twitter, that while Brian Battie has movement in his hands, medical professionals are currently evaluating his brain function.
Evan Keats, the Sarasota director of community affairs, verified that the incident claimed the life of 24-year-old Tommie Battie. Brian Battie’s brother is Tommie Battie. Citing Florida’s Marsy’s Law regulation, Keats would not disclose the names of any other victims of the incident, but he did confirm the hospitalization of four more victims. Regarding the other victim, there was no update available.
The shooter’s identity and motivation have not been made public by deputies. There is a current investigation.
Before moving to Alabama to play for Auburn University in 2023, Brian Battie attended the University of South Florida for three seasons.
Although he gained 227 total yards from 51 rushes as an Auburn running back, the junior college standout was as a return specialist, amassing 645 total yards from 29 kickoff returns.
There is a Go-fund-me page established for the Battie family. More than $61,000 had been raised as of Monday.
