Former Miami Hurricanes safety Avantae Williams is accused of shooting a man to death in a Florida bar.
Police in DeLand said they arrested the 24-year-old defensive back on Monday following a “recent homicide” at McCabe’s Bar, where roughly 40 patrons were present at the time of the shooting.
The victim, 32-year-old Keshod Harris, was shot “multiple times” in the chest, investigators said. He was rushed to a hospital where he later died.
A bartender was also wounded in the early Saturday shooting, “sustaining gunshot wounds to both hands,” according to police.
Witnesses told investigators that shots rang out after a fight involving several men began inside the bar. Police have not publicly said what prompted the skirmish, though the Daytona News-Journal reports it may have stemmed from jealousy involving Harris’s girlfriend.
Williams allegedly fled the crime scene around 1:30 a.m. and reportedly turned himself into police after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He’s since been charged with second-degree murder.
Records show he’s currently being held without bond at the Volusia County Jail in Daytona Beach.
Rated by ESPN as the top safety in the 2020 college football recruiting class, Williams signed with Miami before eventually left the team after being accused of battering a pregnant woman, according to Sports Illustrated. Those charges against him were later dropped.
Williams transferred to the University of Maryland for the 2023 season, playing in just four games with the Terrapins.