Auburn’s Battie hurt, brother dead in shooting

Auburn running back Brian Battie is in critical condition following a shooting in his hometown of Sarasota, Florida on Saturday that killed his brother, Tommie Battie, 24.

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze asked for prayers for Battie on his social media account Monday. Freeze said there was a setback Sunday and that Battie remains on a ventilator.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office released a statement over the weekend that it was investigating a shooting that occurred in the 3400 block of 17th Street early Saturday morning.

Deputies initially responded to the Tallywood Centre Plaza at approximately 3:30 a.m. where they observed a large crowd with multiple shooting victims in the parking lot. One victim, Tommie L. Battie IV, was pronounced dead at the scene. Four additional victims were transported to local hospitals in both Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Auburn’s only official statement at this point is that the school is aware of the incident and still gathering information.

Battie, who started his career at South Florida, was Auburn’s top kick returner last season and also rushed for 227 yards as a running back.