Brian Battie, a running back for the Auburn Tigers, was wounded Saturday in a shooting in Sarasota, Florida. Tommie Battie, his 24-year-old brother, was killed and pronounced dead at the scene.
The police officers who responded to the scene “observed a large crowd with multiple shooting victims in the parking lot” of a shopping plaza, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. Taking place at around 3:30 a.m., the incident saw four people sent to the hospital, with Brian included in that count. The Tigers running back is currently in critical condition, according to a report from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
A spokesperson for Auburn University stated that the college is aware of the shooting and is in the process of gathering information, per OutKick.
PLEASE SHARE: A GoFundMe has been started for the family of Auburn running back Brian Battie who was critically injured in a shooting in which also his older brother Tommie was tragically killed.
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If you or someone you know is able to give anything:
https://t.co/9Gt0n5y1fI— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) May 20, 2024
Brian Battie, who is 22 years old, was the primary kick returner for the Tigers and gave them running back depth throughout the 2023 campaign. In kick return average, tallying 23 yards-per-touch, Battie ranked No. 5 in the SEC. His average for per kick return-per-game was slightly under 50 yards. On the season, he also collected 227 rushing yards, punching in a touchdown in the Nov. 11 victory taking on Arkansas.
Before becoming a member of Auburn, he was a three-year veteran for South Florida. In the 2021 season, he was named a consensus All-American, rushing for 650 yards and three touchdowns. He was the primary kick returner for USF. In 2022, he was named second-team All-AAC, putting up a total of 1,186 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. (RELATED: EA Sports Drops Official Reveal Trailer For ‘College Football 25’, And It’s Clear This Game Is Going To Be Pure Flames)
Brian was a standout student-athlete at Sarasota High School, while his brother Tommie was one at Braden River High School.