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Former Maryland football player arrested on murder charge after bar shooting in Florida
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Former Maryland football player Avantae Williams is facing a second-degree murder charge after a weekend shooting in his hometown of DeLand, Florida.
DeLand police arrested Williams on Monday for his involvement in the Saturday shooting at McCabe’s Bar that resulted in the death of a 32-year-old Keshod Harris. Per the Daytona Beach News Journal, witnesses told investigators that around 1:30 a.m. a fistfight broke out between several men inside the bar before a gun was drawn and shooting began. Approximately 40 patrons were inside the bar at the time.
Harris was struck by gunshots multiple times. He was transported from the bar to a local hospital, where he died from injuries. Williams, 24, is being held without bond.
Williams played 4 seasons of college football at Miami and Maryland.
Out of DeLand (Florida) High School, Williams was a top-50 recruit in the Class of 2020. After decommitting from Oregon, he was expected to go to Florida. Williams stunned the college football world when he instead chose Miami on National Signing Day.
Williams missed the 2020 season due to unspecified medical issues. He was briefly dismissed in 2021 but returned before the start of the season after battery charges were dropped. Williams remained with the Hurricanes through the 2022 season.
Ahead of the 2023 season, Williams transferred to Maryland. He reportedly entered the transfer portal again after his season with the Terrapins.
A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.