Former college football player Avantae Williams, who appeared in games for the Miami Hurricanes and Maryland Terrapins, was charged with second-degree murder on Monday (May 5), FOX 35 Orlando reports.
Williams, 24, is accused of shooting Keshod Harris, 32, seven times in the chest during an incident at McCabe's Bar in DeLand, Florida, at around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday (May 3). The former college football player was reported to have fled the scene prior to officers' arrival, which led to an extensive investigation.
Williams was arrested on Monday and remains in custody at the Volusia County Jail.
“There was chaos, you know, everybody was running,” said Stephanie Kirby, who was working as the bartender at McCabe's when the incident took place, via FOX 35 Orlando. “When bullets are flying, and you don’t know where they’re gonna land, that’s pretty scary.”
Police are still investigating what caused the fight that eventually escalated into gunfire. Harris was reported to be with friends just prior to the shooting, according to FOX 35 Orlando.
Williams rated as a four-star prospect and was the No. 2 safety, No. 7 player from the state of Florida and No. 45 overall prospect in the 2020 national recruiting cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite, before signing with Miami. The Deland native spent his first two seasons with the Hurricanes before transferring to Maryland in 2023.
Williams finished his college career with 30 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery in three seasons.