At least three people were killed — including two former Auburn University football players — in a shooting at an apartment complex near the campus in Auburn, Ala., the police said Sunday, in a fight that the local news media reported may have started as a dispute over a woman.
The two former players were identified as Edward Christian, 20, and Ladarious Phillips, 20. Demario Pitts, who was not a student at the university, was also killed.
Chief Tommy Dawson of the city of Auburn said the police had identified a suspect, Desmonte Leonard of Montgomery, Ala., and had asked that he turn himself in.
“This is a trying time because it’s not only university students and athletes, but it’s young people,” Chief Dawson told reporters at a news conference. “The community has been shaken by this.”
Mr. Dawson said that in addition to the three killed, three others were wounded in the fight, which he said occurred at a party at an off-campus housing complex called University Heights late Saturday.
Two of the people who were wounded, including Eric Mack, a third-year offensive lineman on the Auburn football team, were expected to recover. Another was listed in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head.
Details about the shooting were still murky on Sunday afternoon. A witness, Turquorius Vines, 23, told The Associated Press that he and a friend had attended a pool party at the housing complex on Saturday night when they got into an argument over a woman with two other men. The dispute escalated into violence, and at least one of the men began shooting.
The shooting has shaken Auburn, a university that is passionate about its football team.
"We’re deeply saddened about last night’s tragic events that impacted the Auburn community and the Auburn family,” Jay Gogue, the university’s president, said in a statement. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to the victims and their families. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. We’re in constant contact with area authorities and will continue to assist in any way possible. Our attention is now focused on providing care and support to those touched by this tragedy.”
The shooting continues a trying period for Auburn’s athletic department off the field. In March, a Yahoo Sports report revealed that the FBI was investigating a former basketball player, Varez Ward, for shaving points during his college career. Auburn officials acknowledged that it had made a report to the F.B.I., but little has been said or reported on the case since.
Then in April, a former football player, Antonio Goodwin, was convicted of first-degree robbery. He was one of four men with ties to the Auburn football program who were arrested over the robbery, and the three others are said to face court dates soon. Mr. Goodwin’s trial included testimony that indicated guns and marijuana were part of the culture surrounding the Auburn football program.
Mr. Phillips, Mr. Christian and Mr. Mack came to Auburn in the same recruiting class, in 2010, the year that the university won the national title. Mike Battles, who was Mr. Phillips’s coach at Handley High School in Roanoke, Ala., said that Mr. Phillips was in the process of transferring to another school to continue his football career. He saw limited playing time for Auburn last season.
Mr. Battles said he learned of the shooting when the Auburn coach, Gene Chizik, called his house at 7 a.m. on Sunday.
“He was devastated,” Mr. Battles said.
Mr. Battles said Mr. Phillips stayed out of trouble and was a gifted athlete. “We all expected great things out of him,” Mr. Battles said. “It’s just a tragedy. I have no other way to describe it. I just expected great things from him, and I think most people that saw him did. Now we’re not going to know.”
Mr. Christian arrived at Auburn as a highly recruited offensive lineman from Valdosta, Ga., where was a star at Lowndes High School. Back problems ended his football career, and a university spokesperson was not sure whether Mr. Christian was still enrolled at Auburn.
Mr. Mack, who remained in the hospital but was expected to recover, is to enter his third year at Auburn in the fall and was expected to see significant playing time in the offensive line rotation. He is from St. Matthews, S.C., and was one of the country elite offensive line prospects when he arrived at Auburn.
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