Former Miami defensive back Avantae Williams was arrested in Florida on Monday in connection with a fatal shooting, according to Local 10 News.
Williams, 24, now faces a second-degree murder charge in what police described as an “open and active investigation.”
The DeLand Police Department arrested Williams Monday night in connection with a shooting that occurred at McCabe’s Bar in DeLand, approximately 40 miles northeast of Orlando.
Police responded to the shooting around 1:30 a.m. Saturday when approximately 40 patrons were inside the establishment.
Witnesses told police a fight broke out at the bar before one man started shooting.
The victim was identified as 32-year-old Keshod Harris of DeLand, who died from his injuries at the hospital.
A bartender also suffered non-life-threatening injuries after being shot in the hands during the incident.
According to police, Williams fled the scene after the shooting. He is currently being held in Volusia County.
Previous Legal Issues
This isn’t Williams’ first encounter with law enforcement. In July 2021, Miami temporarily removed him from the football team following an arrest on domestic violence charges.
At that time, he faced three counts of aggravated battery of a pregnant person, according to ESPN.
A Miami-Dade Police Department incident report stated that Williams’ ex-girlfriend was 31-weeks pregnant and the two were living together when the incident occurred.
The report indicated the woman was arguing with Williams about his involvement with another woman when Williams told her, “you need to be gone” after he returned from practice.
When Williams returned, the report said that he “grabbed her by her hair and threw her onto the bed, grabbed her again and threw her to the ground, and then picked her up and threw her to the ground outside the residence.”
Local 10 News reported those charges were later dropped, and Miami reinstated him to its roster in August 2021.
Williams spent two years with the Hurricanes before transferring to Maryland in 2023.
