Man arrested in shooting that wounded Auburn RB Brian Battie, killed his brother

SARASOTA, Fla. — Deputies in Florida on Wednesday arrested a Sarasota man accused of wounding Auburn running back Brian Battie and killing his older brother.

>> Read more trending news

According to Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office online booking records, Darryl Bernard Brookins, 28, was arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder and as a felon in possession of a firearm.

A probable-cause affidavit released by the sheriff said that Brookins had four previous felony convictions, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Brookins is accused of shooting Brian Battie, Tommie Battie IV and three other people at about 3:30 a.m. EDT Saturday in the parking lot of the Hookah Lounge Marrakech, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported.

Brian Battie, 22, was shot in the head and was transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, according to the Times. The other three wounded victims ranged in ages from 36 to 46.

Tommie Battie, 24, suffered a single gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene, the newspaper reported.

Brian Battie, a Sarasota native, played at nearby University of South Florida in Tampa for three years before transferring to Auburn for the 2023 season, according to WTVT. He ran for 227 yards and a touchdown last season for the Tigers, according to Sports-Reference.com.

There have been no official updates on Battie’s condition, The Associated Press reported. On Monday, Auburn coach Hugh Freeze posted on social media that the running back was “still on a ventilator.”

Video footage obtained from surrounding businesses showed a man later identified as Brookins leaning against a window of the Tallywood Centre Plaza when the Battie brothers approached, the Times reported.

According to the video, Brookins allegedly drew a weapon and began firing at the brothers, the newspaper reported. The Battie brothers returned fire but both were struck by bullets, according to an arrest affidavit.

Brian Battie’s godmothers started a GoFundMe to help raise money for the family. As of Wednesday, more than $98,000 had been raised.

Sarasota City Commissioner Kyle Battie, a cousin of of the Battie brothers, told the Herald-Tribune on Tuesday that the shooting was a “senseless act of gun violence.”

“My prayers are with all of the victims and their loved ones, including my cousins who lost their son, Tommie, and for my cousin, Brian, and his friend who are both fighting for their lives. We must come together to do more to save our youth from these tragic ends.”

© 2024 Cox Media Group