DELAND, Fla. (WKRC) – A former college football player was arrested in connection to a bar shooting that left one dead and another injured.
The DeLand Police Department issued a statement regarding a fatal shooting that occurred on Saturday at around 1:30 a.m. at McCabe’s Bar in DeLand, Florida.
Responding officers were informed by witnesses that a “fistfight broke out between several men inside the bar” and that one of the men “produced a firearm and began shooting.”
One of the victims, identified by police as 32-year-old Keshod Harris of DeLand, was struck multiple times in the chest. He was taken to an area hospital, where he later died.
Authorities said a bartender was also injured after being shot in both their hands. That individual was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said that the suspect fled the scene after the shooting, “possibly in a vehicle,” with police offering a reward for information that lead to an arrest.
Volusia County inmate records obtained by PEOPLE reportedly show that 24-year-old Avantae Williams was taken into custody on Monday in connection to the fatal shooting.
Williams, a former defensive back who played two seasons with the Miami Hurricanes in 2021 and 2022 before transferring to the Maryland Terrapins in 2023, was charged with second-degree murder, according to the publication.
Per ESPN, the 24-year-old was once named the top safety recruit in the country.
He was notably excused from the Hurricanes after he was charged with assaulting a pregnant woman, but later rejoined with a half-season suspension when those charges were dropped.
Williams ultimately transferred to Maryland, where he played five games in the 2023 season before entering the transfer portal, although he never joined another team, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported.
He is being held without bond, according to PEOPLE.
