College football players among victims as gunman runs amok at party

Two were former Auburn University football players.

Another three were wounded during the shootings near the university.

Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson said during a news conference that current football player Eric Mack was among those wounded and was being treated at a hospital.

The two dead former players were identified as Edward Christian and Ladarious Phillips. The other person killed was identified as Demario Pitts.

Officials also said Xavier Moss and John Robertson were wounded. “This is a trying time, not only university students and athletes, but it’s young people. it’s six young people that have been shot. As you can tell, the community is shaken by this and grieving today,” Mr Dawson said.

Police say Desmonte Leonard has been charged with capital murder and has not yet been detained.

Mr Dawson stressed that the football team was connected to the shooting only because current and former players were victims.

“Them being football players really has nothing to do with this. They’re victims of a shooting,” Dawson said.

Turquorius Vines, 23, said he was at the pool party on Saturday evening at the University Heights apartments with one of his friend, Pitts. He said he and his friend were approached by two other men who started arguing with them over a woman.

Mr Vines said he punched one of the men, while Pitts hit both of the men over the head with a bottle. Either one or both of the two men then started shooting, he said. He said his friend was shot and killed, while two others also were hit by gunfire. Mr Vines said he had never before seen the men whom he had been arguing with.

“It’s like I lost a lung,” he said of his friend. “I don’t know how I’m going to survive this.”

Five uniformed officers yesterday guarded the apartment block, which was sealed off with crime scene tape.