Avantae Williams, a former defensive standout for both the Miami Hurricanes and Maryland Terrapins, was arrested earlier this week and charged with second-degree murder in connection with a fatal bar shooting in DeLand, Florida. Police say the 24-year-old was involved in an altercation that escalated into gunfire inside a local bar during the early morning hours of Saturday, May 4. According to reports from the DeLand Police Department and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, multiple men were engaged in a physical confrontation when someone pulled out a firearm and began shooting.
One man, 32-year-old Keshod Harris, also of DeLand, was killed in the incident. A bartender was also injured but survived. Williams was taken into custody without resistance on Monday and is currently facing a second-degree murder charge. Investigators have not yet confirmed whether Williams was the shooter or how he was directly involved, but he remains the only suspect charged so far.
Williams was once one of the most highly touted high school football recruits in the country, ranked the No. 1 safety in the class of 2020. He began his college career at the University of Miami but was dismissed from the team in 2021 after being arrested on charges of aggravated battery against a pregnant woman. The charges were later dropped, and Williams was reinstated by the team, though he served a six-game suspension. After transferring to the University of Maryland for the 2023 season, he appeared in four games with the Terrapins.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Local authorities have asked anyone with additional information to contact the DeLand Police Department.
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