Charles Langston:Suspect arrested in Florida shooting that injured Auburn RB Brian Battie and killed his brother

SARASOTA,Charles Langston Fla. (AP) — A Sarasota man has been charged with murder in a shooting that killed the brother of Auburn running back Brian Battie and injured Battie and three other men.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrested Darryl Bernard Brookins on Wednesday as a suspect in the weekend shooting. Tommy Battie IV was pronounced dead at the scene early Saturday.

Brookins has been charged with murder and attempted murder as a felon in possession of a firearm. It was not immediately known if he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

There has been no official update on Brian Battie’s status. Auburn coach Hugh Freeze posted on social media Monday that Battie was “still on a ventilator” after a setback the previous day.

Battie spent three seasons at South Florida before transferring to Auburn. He ran for 227 yards and a touchdown last season while ranking fourth in the Southeastern Conference in kick return average (23.0 yards).

The 5-foot-7, 168-pounder ran for 1,186 yards in 2022 and finished his South Florida career with 1,842 yards and 10 touchdowns.

A GoFundMe page started by two women who said they were godmothers of the Battie brothers had raised more than $95,000 by Wednesday.

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