Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is imploring his fans to send their prayers Brian Battie‘s way … revealing Monday the Tigers running back has been put on a ventilator after he was involved in a shooting over the weekend.
The football player was initially wounded at around 3:30 AM on Saturday … after gunfire erupted in the Tallywood Centre Plaza parking lot in Sarasota, Fla.
According to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, one person, Battie’s brother, Tommie L. Battie IV, was killed during the incident. Several others, the SCSO said, needed to be transported to nearby hospitals to address their injuries.
The Battie family said in a GoFundMe page set up shortly after the shooting that Brian was taken to the medical facility in critical condition … and on Monday, Freeze said on his X page that his player had suffered a setback on Sunday night.
“Auburn family,” Freeze wrote, “Please continue to pray for Brian Battie … he’s still on a ventilator.”
Brian, a senior, transferred to Auburn from USF before the 2023 season … and worked as the team’s kick returner this past year. He also logged snaps at tailback … rushing for 227 yards and a touchdown on 51 carries.
An Auburn spokesperson said the university is aware of the shooting and is currently gathering more information … but the school has yet to comment further.
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