Arrest made in shooting that hurt Auburn RB, killed brother

Police have made an arrest in the shooting that injured Auburn football player Brian Battie and killed his brother, Tommy.

Jan 1, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Auburn Tigers helmet lays on the field by the bench against the Wisconsin Badgers during the second half in the 2015 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Auburn Tigers 34-31 in overtime. / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

A man in Sarasota, Fla., has been arrested and charged with murder in the shooting that killed the brother of Auburn Tigers football player Brian Battie and injured Battie and three other people.

Darryl Bernard Brookins was arrested by the Sarasota Co. (Fla.) Sheriff's Office on Wednesday as the suspect in the shooting that took place around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Brookins turned himself in to Sarasota Co. deputies, his attorney told the ABC affiliate in Sarasota.

Tommie Battie, the brother of the Auburn player, was pronounced dead at the scene, and Brian Battie was taken to the hospital, where he was said to be in critical condition.

Brookins faces charges of murder and attempted murder as a felon in possession of a firearm.

While there has been no official update on Battie's health, Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, that requested prayers for the player after he reportedly suffered a "set back" and was still on a ventilator.

Battie featured as Auburn's principal kick return specialist a year ago while providing secondary snaps at the running back position.

He ranked fifth in the SEC with 23 yards per return on average and posted 49 yards per kick return on special teams.

Battie ran for 227 yards a year ago off 51 carries and scored a touchdown as Auburn's reserve tailback.

Before joining Auburn, Battie spent three seasons at USF, being named a consensus All-America selection in 2021 and he earned second-team All-AAC honors the following year when he ran for 1,186 yards and eight touchdowns.

Battie ran for 1,842 yards and 10 touchdowns at USF before transferring to Auburn.

A GoFundMe was launched to help Battie's family during this time, and over $95,000 has been raised as of Wednesday afternoon.

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