Context:

Former Miami Hurricanes football player Avantae Williams was arrested in Florida in connection with a fatal shooting at McCabe’s Bar in DeLand, where a fight escalated into gunfire, resulting in the death of Keshod Harris. Williams, who now faces a second-degree murder charge, reportedly fled the scene and is currently in custody in Volusia County. The incident occurred early Saturday morning, with approximately 40 patrons present, and a bartender suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Williams' past includes being temporarily dismissed from Miami's football team in 2021 due to domestic violence charges, which were later dropped, allowing his reinstatement. The police investigation into the recent shooting remains active and ongoing, as authorities piece together eyewitness accounts of the altercation and subsequent gunfire.

Dive Deeper:

• Avantae Williams, a former Miami football player, was arrested for his alleged involvement in a fatal shooting at McCabe’s Bar in DeLand, Florida, and is facing a second-degree murder charge. The incident occurred on a Saturday morning, with the DeLand Police Department responding to reports of gunfire after a fight broke out at the bar.

• The shooting resulted in the death of 32-year-old Keshod Harris and left a bartender with injuries to his hands; around 40 patrons were present at the time of the incident. Williams allegedly fled the scene following the shooting and is now held in custody in Volusia County as the investigation continues.

• In 2021, Williams faced legal issues when he was temporarily dismissed from the University of Miami's football team following an arrest on charges of aggravated battery against a pregnant person. The charges were related to an altercation with his then-pregnant ex-girlfriend, which involved physical violence, but were later dropped, leading to his reinstatement to the team.

• The recent arrest adds to Williams' controversial history, with his previous legal troubles highlighting a pattern of violent behavior that has marred his athletic career. His transfer to the University of Maryland in 2023 was a move following his troubled tenure at Miami.

• The ongoing police investigation seeks to gather more details from witnesses and evidence to fully understand the circumstances leading to the shooting, as the community and authorities grapple with the aftermath of the violent incident.

• Former Miami defensive back Avantae Williams was reportedly arrested in Florida on Monday.

• Williams, who spent two years with the Hurricanes before transferring to Maryland in 2023, was arrested in connection with a fatal shooting over the weekend, according to Local 10 News.

• Williams now faces a second-degree murder charge during what police called an "open and active investigation."

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• Here's what to know about Williams' arrest.

• Avantae Williams arrested

  Local 10 News reported Tuesday that Williams had been arrested Monday night by the DeLand Police Department in connection with a fatal shooting that took place in East Central Florida.

• The shooting happened at McCabe’s Bar in DeLand, which is around 40 miles northeast of Orlando, on Saturday morning, according to the police department. Williams was arrested in connection to the homicide, and the 24-year-old now faces a second-degree murder charge.

• The Local 10 News story reported that police are still conducting their investigation into the shooting, where "approximately 40 patrons were inside McCabe’s Bar" during the incident. It was around 1:30 a.m. Saturday that police responded to the shooting. 

• Witnesses reportedly told police that a fight broke out at the bar and one man started shooting. The victim of the shooting was identified as 32-year-old Keshod Harris of DeLand, who died from his injuries at the hospital. A bartender was also shot in the hands during the incident and was hospitalized with "non-life-threatening injuries."

• Police said that Williams fled the scene after the shooting. He is now being held in Volusia County.

• Why was Avantae Williams kicked out of Miami?

  In July 2021, Williams was kicked off Miami's football team for a brief period of time after being arrested on domestic violence charges.

• At the time, he was facing three counts of aggravated battery of a pregnant person, per ESPN.  A Miami-Dade Police Department incident report indicated that Williams' ex-girlfriend was 31-weeks pregnant at the time and the two were living together. According to the report, the woman was in an argument with Williams over his involvement with another woman, and Williams told her, "you need to be gone" after he got back from practice. 

• When Williams returned from practice, 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." 

• According to Local 10 News, those charges were later dropped, and Miami reinstated the defensive back to its roster in August 2021.