Suspect arrested in shooting that critically wounded Auburn RB Brian Battie and killed his brother

An arrest has been made following the shooting that left Auburn running back Brian Battie in critical condition and killed his brother.

Darryl Bernard Brookins, 28, was arrested Wednesday afternoon by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Marshals Task Force, the sheriff's office announced. He was booked at the Sarasoto County Correctional Facility.

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

The shooting occurred on May 18, when deputies responded to a shooting in the parking lot of Sarasota's Tallywood Centre Plaza at 3:30 a.m. Battie's brother, Tommie L. Battie IV, was found dead at the scene, with four other people wounded and transported to area hospitals. Calls to 911 paint a chaotic picture outside a hookah lounge.

Battie, a Sarasota native, was reportedly placed in the ICU and was able to move his hands, but Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said on social media Monday that his player had a setback and remained on a ventilator.

There haven't been any official updates on Battie's condition since then. A GoFundMe was set up to help Battie's family cover funeral expenses and hospital bills and has so far raised more than $100,000.

Battie, a two-star recruit in the class of 2020 according to Rivals, transferred to Auburn in Jan. 2023 after three seasons at South Florida, where he rushed for over 1,800 yards. He became Auburn's primary kick returner in his first season with the program, returning 28 kicks for 645 yards and posting 227 rushing yards as a running back.