Auburn football RB Brian Battie injured in shooting | Reports
AUBURN — Auburn football running back Brian Battie was injured in a shooting early Saturday morning, according to multiple reports.
"We are aware of the situation and are continuing to gather information," an Auburn spokesperson told the Montgomery Advertiser. The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office − Battie is a native of Sarasota, Florida − identified Tommie Battie IV as a deceased victim of a shooting that occurred at approximately 3:30 a.m. ET in the 3400 block of 17th Street in Sarasota.
Brian Battie's Auburn profile lists him with three siblings, including a Tommie IV.
Brian Stultz of Auburn Rivals reported Saturday afternoon that Battie was injured in the shooting. It was later corroborated by Jason Caldwell of 247Sports.
The sheriff's office said in a release that there were four additional victims, though it did not name them. The additional victims were transported to local hospitals and no further update was given on their conditions.
Former Auburn defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge put out a social media post in support Battie on Saturday: "Praying for you," Etheridge wrote while tagging Battie. UCF cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed, who worked as the director of football and recruiting relations at Auburn for the last three seasons, made a post with similar sentiments.
Battie began his career with three seasons at South Florida, where he rushed for 1,186 yards in 2022 and was an All-American kick returner in 2021. He amassed 227 rushing yards and a touchdown on 51 attempts with the Tigers in 2023. Battie also led the SEC in kick return yards with 645.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Brian Battie: Auburn football running back injured in shooting
