Trigger Warning: This article includes references to violence, shooting and death.

The National Football League (NFL) is praying for an American football player and mourning for his brother. Running back Brian Battie is fighting for life after being injured in a fatal shooting around his hometown of Sarasota, Florida on Saturday morning while his brother 24-year-old Tommie Battie was announced dead on the spot, unfortunately, as per the police.  

Brian Battie among four others sent to hospital after a fatal shooting 

An unfortunate news hit the NFL world when it was reported that Auburn Tigers’ running back Brian Battie was shot in the head and is fighting for his life currently in the hospital alongside four others. 

What is worse is that the 22-year-old former South Florida Bulls player lost his brother, a former Braden River running back, Tommie L. Battie IV, on the spot in the fatal shooting which took place at 3:30 a.m. in the 3400 block of 17th Street in Sarasota, as per Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office press.  

The case, which police describe as an “isolated incident,” is being investigated currently and people with knowledge of the occurrence are encouraged to contact the Criminal Investigations Section or Crime Stoppers of Sarasota. 

Brain Battie, a rising star in making 

Brian Battie is a 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) return specialist and a native of Sarasota, Florida. He attended Braden River High School before he returned back to Braden River ahead of his junior year. For his senior year, he transferred back to Sarasota High School.

The youngster was offered by teams like Kansas State, Cincinnati, UConn, Akron, Buffalo, Middle Tennessee State, Northern Illinois, Coastal Carolina, and Georgia Southern, but he decided to commit his services to South Florida where he spent three seasons of his growing career. 

Battie last year, in January decided to transfer to Auburn, and in the first month of 2024, he announced that he would enter the transfer portal again. The player is now into his fifth year of his college career at the team where he has frequently been used as a kick returner in the first season recording kickoffs 29 times for 645 yards (22.2 yards per kick return).

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