Former college football star Avantae Williams faces life in prison after arrest over deadly shooting
Former college football star Avantae Williams could be facing a lifetime in prison following a deadly shooting in Florida at the weekend.
Williams, 24, a former safety for Maryland and Miami, was arrested in connection with a fatal shooting that left one man dead and a bartender injured at a bar north of Orlando.
32-year-old Keshod Harris was shot several times during an altercation at McCabe's in DeLand, around 34 miles outside of Orlando.
Cops responded to calls at the bar at around 1:30am local time on Saturday, DeLand Police Department said in a report.
Approximately 40 people where inside the bar when a fist fight broke out between several men before one produced a firearm and opened fire, eyewitness told investigators.
Harris was struck multiple times in the chest and was rushed to a local hospital where he later died of his injuries.
A bartender was also hit in the crossfire, sustaining gunshot wound to both hands. They were also transported to hospital, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Williams is said to have fled the scene, according to the police report, but was identified as the suspect by investigators and detained on Monday after an arrest warrant was issued.
He is now in custody at the Volusia County Jail and is reportedly charged with second-degree murder. The sentence for second-degree murder in Florida is anywhere from 16 years to life.
It is currently unclear what triggered the altercation and it is not known if Harris was Williams' intended victim.
Police are continuing to investigate the incident.
'There was chaos, you know, everybody was running,' Stephanie Kirby, the bartender who witnessed the shooting, told Fox35.
'When bullets are flying, and you don't know where they're gonna land, that's pretty scary,' she added.
Kirby recalled hiding behind the bar before helping customers flee. She said her close friend and colleague, Courtney, was shot while trying to de-escalate the situation.
She described Harris, the victim, as being calm and socializing with friends before the altercation occurred.
'He wasn't like hardcore partying, but he was chill and hanging out with his friends. He bought friends some rounds, and he was out socializing.'
Williams, a DeLand native, played football on a scholarship for both the Maryland Terrapins and the Miami Hurricanes.
Williams graduated from DeLand High School after establishing himself as the top safety in his recruiting class, according to ESPN.
He went on to play two seasons for Miami before finishing his college career with Maryland during the 2023-24 season.
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