A man has been charged in connection to a shooting that left Auburn football player Brian Battie in critical condition, according to the local sheriff’s office.
Darryl Brookins, 28, was arrested Wednesday and accused of firing shots in the Tallywood Centre Plaza parking lot in Florida on Saturday, according to a press release from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO). The shooting left Battie and three others injured. Battie’s brother, Tommie Battie IV, died during the shooting, the press release noted.
Brookins was reportedly seen on security camera footage leaning against the window of a nearby business, according to WFLA News. The Battie brothers reportedly walked toward him, which is when Brookins allegedly fired a gun at them, deputies told the outlet.
The brothers allegedly returned fire, and both fell to the ground, the outlet reported. Brookins allegedly fled the scene, but numerous tips eventually led to his identification, WFLA noted, citing the SCSO.
The 28-year-old’s car was reportedly found abandoned in the parking lot where the shooting took place, the outlet noted.
“Brookins has been charged with murder, attempted murder, and as a felon in possession of a firearm,” the press release stated.
Battie, a college football running back, was reportedly shot in the head and left in critical condition, WFLA reported. Auburn’s football coach, Hugh Freeze, said Monday that Battie was on a ventilator.
“Auburn family. Please continue to pray for Brian Battie,” Freeze wrote on Twitter. “There was a set back last night and he’s still on a ventilator. #AUSTRONG.”
Battie previously played for the University of South Florida and was named a consensus All-American selection back in 2021, according to Sports Illustrated.
Tommie Battie was reportedly shot in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene, WFLA reported. Three other people were injured in the event and transported to local hospitals. (RELATED: Auburn’s Brian Battie Shot, Brother Tommie Killed In Florida Shooting).
A GoFundMe was created for the Battie family and expressed grief over the 24-year-old whom they called “Pooh.”
“Losing a child so unexpectedly is something unimaginable and something that will never be healed. The family will never be the same without Pooh, and neither will anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him,” the GoFundMe read.
“Brian Battie remains in critical condition at a local hospital. We know he will continue to fight and overcome this, just as he has overcome so many other obstacles in his life,” the fundraiser stated. “We ask that you continue to pray for Brian to make a full recovery to return home with his loving family.”
