Six people, including three football players, were shot Saturday, June 9 following a fight at an apartment complex near Auburn University. Former players Ed Christian and Ladarious Phillips were killed. Current player Eric Mack was hospitalized but released.
Desmonte Leonard Now In Court For 3 Murder Charges
The AP lays out what awaits Leonard on Thursday:
After the hearing, he’ll be transported back to Lee County, the site of the original incident.
Read Article >Auburn Shooting: Desmonte Leonard’s Mother Helped Convince Son To Turn Himself In, Says Auburn Police Chief
The manhunt for Desmonte Leonard, the suspect in the shooting death of three men, including two former Auburn football players, turned himself in on Tuesday night. While many details are not yet available to the public, it appears that Leonard’s mother helped convince her son to submit to the authorities (via Al.com):
Auburn President Jay Gogue released a statement following Leonard’s arrest. It reads in part:
Read Article >Auburn Shooting Suspect Desmonte Leonard Surrenders To Police
Police have been on a manhunt for Desmonte Leonard, who is suspected as the shooter who killed two former Auburn football players late Saturday night. The police previously had arrested two suspects, but now had Leonard in custody after he surrendered to authorities on Tuesday evening, the Associated Press confirmed.
Police were nearly able to capture Leonard on Monday, but wound up raiding the wrong house and Leonard was not there.
Read Article >Auburn Shooting: Police Raided Wrong House, FBI Admits
The manhunt for Desmonte Leonard, the man police suspect of killing three and wounding three in a Saturday night shooting, continues, with a Monday night siege of a Montgomery home turning up no arrests. Police fired tear gas into the residence, claiming at one point that thermal imaging turned up evidence of someone hiding in the attic. But early Tuesday morning, officers left the scene.
Now, via Reuters, the story:
Read Article >2 Auburn Shooting ‘Persons Of Interest’ Arrested. Desmonte Leonard At Large
One day after Auburn police announced Desmonte Leonard as the prime suspect in the Saturday night shooting that claimed the lives of two former Tigers football players and wounded another, two arrests have already been made. Jeremy Thomas, 18, and Gabriel Thomas, 41, were both charged with hindering prosecution. Both are from Montgomery, but it’s unclear whether they’re related, according to police.
According to Auburn Undercover’s report, Auburn police chief Tommy Dawson says Leonard is believed to also be in the Montgomery area. Police have previously described him as armed and dangerous, but request the public’s assistance in bringing him to justice. The FBI and U.S. Marshals have offered a combined $15,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest.
Read Article >Auburn Shooting: Eric Mack Released From Hospital
Mack, an offensive lineman, was admitted to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries Saturday night, and stayed until Sunday evening recovering from the wound, reportedly suffered in the hip area. Mack, a sophomore, redshirted his freshman year. He was rated the No. 2 offensive guard in the country by ESPN coming out of high school.
Two other victims, John Robertson and Xavier Moss, were hospitalized. Moss was released earlier Sunday while Robertson has been described as “fighting for his life,” according to police officials. Police have identified a prime suspect, Desmonte Leonard, and have offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Read Article >Auburn Shooting: Closer Looks At Victims Ladarious Phillips And Ed Christian
For more on Auburn, visit Track ‘Em Tigers. For continuing updates on the shootings, keep checking back with this StoryStream.
Read Article >Auburn Shooting: Gene Chizik’s Statement On Death Of Ed Christian, Ladarious Phillips
Christian, Phillips, and Mack were all members of Chizik’s 2010 recruiting class at Auburn. His statement on the tragedy, via AuburnTigers.com:
In addition to the three victims connected with the Auburn football program, another individual identified as Demario Pitts died from his wounds shortly after arriving at the hospital. Victim John Robertson is currently in critical condition at UAB Hospital, and Xavier Moss was treated and released
Read Article >Auburn Shooting: Ed Christian, Ladarious Phillips Confirmed Dead By Police
The shooting suspect has been identified as Desmonte Leonard and police are currently in an active manhunt for the “armed and dangerous” man. Dawson indicated there are two other persons of interest, but would not identify them publicly. Three warrants were signed charging Leonard with capital murder and federal U.S. Marshals are assisting the local authorities in the pursuit.
Dawson did say that the police had a motive but would not go into details. He also stressed that there was no specific connection to the Auburn football team that provoked the altercation, saying the three individuals who were murdered were not targeted but simply victims of a “fight that got out of hand.” Via Evan Woodberry:
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