It’s a dreary day in Sarasota as people are in mourning over the recent shooting that took place and claimed a life while injuring several others. College football has also been extremely affected by this fatal incident as one of their own players became a victim. Auburn’s standout RB Brian Battie is one of the victims who suffered more than a shot to his head.

The first person to report the shooting incident is Brian Stultz from the Auburn Rivals website as the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Battie was one of the victims. Later, representatives of the Auburn team also shed light on Battie’s condition, revealing that he was in a critical condition.

The Battie family faces a very unfortunate incident 

As reported by Dov Kleiman on X, “Auburn RB Brian Battie has been shot in the head and is listed in critical condition.” And as if that’s not a blow enough for the Battie family, “His brother, Tommie L. Battie IV, was pronounced dead at the scene.” Tommie Battie played at Braden River under HC Curt Bradley from 2014 to 17.

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According to a report by Sarasota Herald-Tribune columnist Doug Fernandes, Brian Battie was shot on Saturday morning in his hometown of Sarasota, Florida. The shooting reportedly took place at a hookah bar in the 3400 block of 17th Street. It also took the life of his 24-year-old brother, Tommie L. Battie IV, and sent four other victims to local hospitals, including him.

As we pray for the bereaved and wish for a speedy recovery for the star RB, one can’t help but look at the contributions he made for the Tigers. 

Brian Battie: a valuable asset in the Tigers’ RB room

Brian Battie came to Auburn for the 2023 season after spending three seasons with the South Florida Bulls, recording 1,186 rushing yards in 2022. He established himself as an elite kick returner for South Florida with 600+ rushing yards in 2021 and 2022. Coming to Auburn, he proved that the hype was real, by locking down impressive stats in his debut season. 

In his first performance with the Tigers last season, Brian Battie rushed for 227 yards and a TD on 51 carries. In addition, he recorded 28 kick returns for 645 yards, finding the 4th spot for himself in the SEC with the most kick returns. It’s a tragedy that he had to face a terrible life-death situation.

We offer our prayers and condolences to the Battie family for their loss.