A former Indiana University football player was one of two victims of deadly shootings in Indianapolis over the weekend, following two nights of violent protest over the death of George Floyd and police treatment of African Americans.
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It wasn’t clear their deaths were related to the protests and police said no officers had fired their guns.
One of those fatally shot was Chris Beaty, who was a defensive lineman on IU's football team from 2000 to 2004 and has recently managed Indianapolis nightclubs, The Indianapolis Star reported.
A statement from IU Football head coach Tom Allen says news of Beaty's death was "devastating."
"Since I returned home to coach at Indiana, Chris embraced me, encouraged me and supported me! His passion for life and Indiana Football energized me every time we were together," the statement reads. "He was one of our first alumni that displayed his unwavering support for what we are building here at Indiana and how we are building it. I am so heartbroken for his family and he will be deeply missed by all those that were blessed to call him a friend!”
We are saddened by the tragic loss of Chris Beaty. RIP #96. pic.twitter.com/WzMALbmLhS — Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) June 1, 2020
Emma Atkinson contributed to this post.