Auburn’s Brian Batty wounded, brother shot dead

Auburn running back Brian Batty is in critical condition after killing his brother Tommy Batty, 24, in Sarasota, Florida, on Saturday.

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze asked for prayers for the bowl on his social media account Monday. Freeze said Sunday had a setback and Batty is on a ventilator.

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

Deputies initially responded to Tollywood Center Plaza at approximately 3:30 a.m. where they noticed a large crowd with multiple shooting victims in the parking lot. One victim, Tommy L. Batty IV, was pronounced dead at the scene. Four other injured people 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 is still gathering information.

Baty, who began his career at South Florida, was Auburn’s top kick returner last season and ran for 227 yards.