Auburn running back Brian Battie is in critical condition after a shooting that left his brother, Tommie Battie IV, dead.
The Batties were shot early Saturday morning in Sarasota, Florida. Tommie, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene, while Brian was taken to a local hospital. This is what Auburn Sports reports from RivalsBattie is in the hospital in the ICU and has movement in his hands as doctors continue to assess him.
Three others were shot, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. From the Sarasota Herald Tribune:
Officers initially responding to the Tallywood Center Plaza witnessed a large crowd with multiple shooting victims in the parking lot. Three additional victims were transported to local hospitals in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
Battie spent the 2023 season at Auburn and was the team’s leading kick returner after starting his season at South Florida. Through 13 games, he had 51 carries for 227 yards and a TD along with seven catches. He also returned 28 punts for 645 yards.
During three seasons in South Florida, Battie rushed for more than 1,800 yards. He was the team’s leading rusher in 2022 when he had 175 carries for 1,185 yards and eight scores. Before playing at South Florida, Battie played his senior season of high school at Sarasota High School after rushing for more than 2,000 yards as a junior at Braden River High School. His brother Tommie also played in both Sarasota and Braden River.
Brian Battie was a two-star recruit in the class of 2020, according to Rivals, and signed with Auburn in January 2023, just three days after entering the transfer portal following a coaching change at USF. Bulls coach Jeff Scott was fired near the end of the 2022 season.
