AUBURN, Ala. – Investigators were searching for a gunman who killed three people including two former Auburn University football players and wounded three others at a pool party near campus after several men began punching each other in a fight over a woman, authorities and witnesses said Sunday.
One of the wounded was shot in the head and critically hurt. Another was a current player, Eric Mack.
Desmonte Leonard opened fire at the party at an apartment complex near the university, Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson said. Federal marshals and police were searching for Leonard, who faces three counts of capital murder.
Slain were Edward Christian, who had not been playing because of a back injury, and Ladarious Phillips, who had previously quit playing football. The other person killed was 20-year-old Demario Pitts.
Officials also said Xavier Moss and John Robertson were wounded. Robertson had been shot in the head and was in critical condition; Moss was released from the hospital.
“The only connection that the Auburn football team has to this is they are victims of a brutal shooting. Sometimes the young men get a bad rap, I feel like, but they are the victims today,” Dawson said.
Police say Leonard has been charged with capital murder. Dawson urged Leonard to turn himself in and also said authorities were searching for two other persons of interest.
