Auburn, AL Shooting Suspect Desmonte Leonard Wanted for Three Capital Murder Arrest Warrants Had Prior Arrest Record

SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE … NOT!

22 year old Desmonte Leonard, the shooting suspect sought in the Auburn, Alabama apartment shooting over the weekend that left three people dead and injured others, had prior arrests for gun offenses. Go figure, why are none of us surprised? Auburn police have issued three capital arrest warrants for Desmonte Leonard. Sadly over the weekend during a police press conference, Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson confirmed that three Auburn University students were killed during the Saturday night shooting, former Auburn Tiger football players Ed Christian and Ladarious Phillips and Demario Pitts   Leonard and two other men were thought to have fled the scene in a white Chevrolet Caprice, authorities said. Police later found the car abandoned in an adjacent county

Shooting Suspect: Desmonte Leonard

A man sought by authorities in connection with a shooting near Auburn University that left three people dead and injured three others, one critically, has previous arrests for gun offenses, but was never prosecuted, according to media reports Monday.

Desmonte Leonard, 22, of Montgomery, is the subject of a multiagency manhunt that stretched into its second day Monday. Leonard faces three charges of capital murder in the shooting late Saturday at an off-campus Auburn, Alabama, apartment complex, police said.

From The Opelika-Auburn News: Court records show Leonard has a criminal past with guns at the root of the crimes. Is anyone really shocked that this thug punk escalated his violence to include murder? This is what happens when you do not throw these low life’s in prison from the outset.

Leonard’s criminal history is one punctuated with gun violence, according to court records. He was charged with carrying a pistol without a permit and theft in 2008 as well as second-degree assault in 2009 for shooting a 16-year-old in the groin. Montgomery County grand juries did not indict Leonard on the theft and assault charges.

Court records also show two child support claims against Leonard, the most recent on Friday.

Anyone with information concerning Leonard’s whereabouts is asked to contact a command post set up by Auburn police, U.S. Marshals and the FBI in Montgomery at 334-223-5400.

Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson Press Conference: Shooting Suspect is Desmonte Leonard of Montgomery, AL (Picture) … Issued Three Warrants of Capital Murder … Confirmed Dead, Edward Christian, Ladarious Phillips & Demario Pitts (VIDEO)

This afternoon Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson held a press conference to discuss the tragic shooting deaths that too place last evening in Auburn, Alabama at the University Heights apartment complex on Longleaf Drive. The shooting left three Auburn University students dead, one still battling for his life and other injured.

Shooting Suspect: Pic of Desmonte Leonard released by police

Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson have identified 22 year old Desmonte Leonard of Montgomery, AL was the prime suspect in the shooting deaths and three capital murder arrest warrants have been issued for him. The police are also looking for two other persons of interests, who’s names were not released. A manhunt is underway in Montgomery, about 55 miles west of Auburn, for Desmonte Leonard. He is considered to be dangerous. Please contact authorities he you see this individual.

Auburn police identified the alleged gunman in the Saturday night shooting that killed three and wounded three others as DesMonte Leonard of Montgomery. Police said he should be considered armed and extremely dangerous, and active manhunt  is under way.

“I’d like to reach out to Mr. Leonard to turn himself in today,” said police chief Tommy Dawson.

The police confirmed the victim’s names of the Auburn, AL apartment shooting. Among the deceased were 20 year old Edward Christian deceased at scene, 20 year old Ladarious Phillips pronounced deceased at the medical center and Demario Pitts deceased at East Alabama Medical Center hospital. Also wounded but expected to survive is offensive lineman Eric Mack. Xavier Moss was treated and released from East Alabama Medical Center; however, John Robertson was taken to UAB Medical Center and is in critical condition.

Shooting at Auburn, AL Apartment Complex, One Confirmed Dead, 2 Reported Dead, Update I: 3 Dead (Update II: Two Past Auburn Tiger Football Players Reported Among the Dead, Ed Christian & Ladarious Phillips Confirmed Dead) … Suspect at Large Desmonte Leonard & Two POI’s.

There has been a shooting an an Auburn, Alabama apartment complex that houses many University of Auburn students. The shooting occurred at the University Heights apartment complex on Longleaf Drive late Saturday evening about 11pm. According to the Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson there were multiple gunshot victims; however, did not comment as to if anyone had been arrested. One person is being confirmed dead, according to WSFA 12 News reporters.

VIDEO

The police chief in the Alabama university city of Auburn said authorities responded during the night to a report of multiple gunshot victims at an apartment complex, but he released no immediate information as Sunday saw the building cordoned in yellow tape.

Auburn police chief Tommy Dawson told the Opelika-Auburn News that police answered the report of multiple shooting victims on Saturday night, but he had no immediate comment on what happened or whether anyone was in custody.

UPDATE I: FOX News this morning is reporting that there were two deaths as a result of the shots fired at the apartment complex when a fight broke out at a pool party. Correction, make that three. They have been speculating as to if any of the victims were present or past Auburn University Tiger football players.

Turquorius Vines, 23, said he was at the pool party Saturday evening at the University Heights apartments with one of his friends. He said he and his friend were approached by two other men who started arguing with them over a woman.

Vines said he punched one of the men, while his friend hit both of the men over the head with a bottle. Either one or both of the two men then started shooting, he said. He said his friend was shot and killed, while two others also were hit by gunfire. Vines said he had never before seen the men who he had been arguing with.

“It’s like I lost a lung,” Vines said of his friend. “I don’t know how I’m going to survive this.”

UPDATE II: This has yet to be confirmed by the Auburn police, but the tweets are flying on Twitter, stating that two former Auburn University football players, Ladarious Phillips and Ed Christian, have been fatally shot and one current player, Eric Mack, is in the hospital.

UPDATE III: WTVM 9 is reporting that Auburn, AL Apartment Complex Shooting Leaves Three people dead and Two Inured.

News Leader 9 has confirmed three people have died in a shooting in Auburn.  The shooting took place at the University Heights apartment complex late Saturday night.

Two additional victims have been seriously injured and have been taken to an area hospital.  We understand police are seeking a shooter.

News Leader 9 spoke with Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson who says he is asking for prayers from the Auburn family.

The Lee County Coroner’s Office has confirmed three are dead and two have been injured in a shooting at the apartment complex off Longleaf Drive.

There will be an 11 am central time press conference by Auburn Police Department Chief Dawson. It has been changed to 1 pm central time.

UPDATE IV: Although no confirmation from police, Opelika Auburn News  is reporting also that two former ‘War Eagle’ Auburn football players were killed and a current one is in the hospital.

Former Auburn football players Ed Christian and Ladarious Phillips were killed in an off-campus shooting at an apartment complex early Sunday morning, and current player Eric Mack was shot and is in the hospital but not in danger, according to multiple reports.

AuburnUndercover.com and al.com were first to confirm the news. A source told al.com Mack “will be all right.”

The Auburn police department and Lee County Coroner Bill Harris still have yet to confirm the victims.

UPDATE V: The Auburn Plainsman … Former Auburn football players Ed Christian and Ladarious Phillips have been confirmed dead.

UPDATE VI: Auburn Police Department Chief Dawson Press Conference: Desmonte Leonard of Montgomery, AL is shooting suspect and two other Persons of Interest sought. The police have filed three warrants for Leonard with capital murder.

Police confirm the victims of Auburn University students: 20 year old Edward Christian deceased at scene, 20 year old Ladarious Phillips pronounced deceased at medical center. Demario Pitts deceased at East Alabama Medical Center hospital.

Thanks to Iowa St, Baylor, USC & NC State … The BCS is a Mess … OK St, Oregon, Oklahoma & Clemson Lose … THE SEC REIGN SUPREME, LSU, ALABAMA & ARKANSAS should be 1,2,3

CARNAGE IN THE BCS … CHANGE THE BSC TO SEC!

Following this past weeks NCAA college football action, the BCS is in total and complete chaos.  All of the one loss teams were whining that they should be the team that plays in the National Championship.  However, DOWN went #2 Oklahoma State, DOWN went #4 Oregon, DOWN went #5 Oklahoma and DOWN went #7 Clemson. The end result of the carnage is the SEC Conference reins supreme.

(Pre-carnage) BCS Standings
RK TEAM RECORD
1 LSU 10-0
2 Oklahoma State 10-0, lost
3 Alabama 9-1
4 Oregon 9-1, lost
5 Oklahoma 8-1, lost
6 Arkansas 9-1
7 Clemson 9-1, lost
8 Virginia Tech 9-1
9 Stanford 9-1
10 Boise State 8-1

In a stunning Friday night and Saturday college football, Oklahoma State loss to Iowa St 37-31, following the tragic death of their woman’s basketball coach and assistant coach. Then the Clemson Tigers played a terrible game against North Carolina St and were thrashed 37-13. Not to be outdone, everyone’s latest darling, the Oregon Ducks loss to the Trojans of USC 38-35.   For three quarters the Trjoans took it to  the Ducks and held on at the end to end the Quack Attacks home winning streak in Eugene, OR.  Then came the most improbable upset of them all. The Baylor Bears who had never beat the Sooners, won in dramatic fashion, 45-38,  with less than a minute to go.

The end result and what the BCS standing are projected to look like tonight with only a couple of BCS rankings left before the bowl games … there will be 3 SEC teams in the #1, #2 and #3 BCS rankings.

That is correct, every honest NCAA football fan knows that the SEC conference is the toughest one in football. This can explain why the SEC has won the last five BCS Championship games. Now comes the following unbelievable set of circumstances. Tonight the BCS ranking will most likely look as follows. Please note this is my educated projection, not the actual. However, there is little that could be different. How amazing and unheard of is it that this late in the BCS rankings that not only will one conference have the top 3 teams in the BCS, all of the teams come from the same SEC WEST division of the same conference.

1. LSU: 11-0
2. Alabama: 10-1
3. Arkansas: 10-1

So what will the final BCS Championship game be, who knows? LSU still has to play Arkansas and maybe Georgia if they beat the Razorbacks. However, if LSU loses to either AR or GA, does that mean Roll Tide is in? Or what happens of Arkansas beats LSU and the Georgia Bulldogs, they would have to be #1. But who would be the other team to play in the BSC Championship game?

Look for South Carolina, Georgia or the high scoring Houston Cougars to break the BCS top 10 this week. Sorry, but ant two loss team belongs nowhere in the BCS top 10.

UPDATE I: AP agrees with me on Top 3 teams; however, teams that loss are still in top 10. What BS from the AP … hopefully the BCS will not have this BS.Sorry, but the Ducks belong no where in the top 10, especially when the #11 team is USC, the team that just beat them at home and actually dominated them for 3 quarters.

Full AP poll can be seen HERE.

Ohio State Buckeye Football Coach Jim Tressel Resigns after Months of NCAA Turmoil & Scandal over Player Benefits

Once again we are witness to the cover up is usually always worse than the crime, especial in this case with Tressel and Ohio St.

Ohio State Buckeye coach Jim Tressel is out after 10 years in Columbus. Tressel announced his resignation today amid the ongoing scandal and turmoil in Buckeye nation over the fact that OSU players received benefits from the selling of their memorabilia.

As we stated when this first surfaced, not only did the NCAA/BCS act irresponsibly in not suspending all that were involved for the Sugar Bowl, this issue was far from over. The story and punishment seemed far to lame and there appeared to be much more to it than was being put forth. As it turns out, Tressel lied and covered up the events to the NCAA. How many times does it happen that one cannot lie to the NCAA?

“After meeting with university officials, we agreed that it is in the best interest of Ohio State that I resign as head football coach,” Tressel said in a statement released by the university. “The appreciation that (wife) Ellen and I have for the Buckeye Nation is immeasurable.”

Assistant coach Luke Fickell will be the coach for the 2011 season. In the end, Tressel’s 106-22-0 record at Ohio State, the eight Bowl Championship Series games in his 10 years and the outright dominate over arch-rival Michigan Wolverines was not enough to save his job. Tressel will be remembered for the cover up of the crime.

Look for the 2011 season to be a throw away for Ohio St. Also, the NCAA will most likely apply some pretty hefty sanctions on the program and also look for the 2010 season wins to be forfeited.

Of course there is nothing to the timing that Tressel would resign on a holiday weekend and right before a huge Sports Illustrated cover story coming out this week. There was no other choice than to get out of Dodge Columbus. Isn’t it going to be interesting after the 5 game suspension, how Terelle Pryor will be received in the Big Horse Shoe. Imagine that a football coach would be so loyal in protecting his players that he lied to the NCAA. Special thanks to Pryor and the other players who felt the need to sell their memorabilia for $’s and put Tressel in the position in the first place.

UPDATE I: This can explain why Tressel stepped down when he did. Sports Illustrated investigated the Jim Tressel at “The Ohio State” University and the pattern of violations in the football program. So much for that image of “integrity” that so many had of Tressel. SI delves into OSU under Tressel and what really went on as everyone praised him as a model coach.

The character traits that have made Jim Tressel a successful football coach and a beloved figure in Ohio are numerous and frequently cited. Former NFL coach Tony Dungy has praised Tressel’s “integrity” and said he is the kind of man you’d want your son to play for. Eddie DeBartolo, the former 49ers owner, has said that Tressel’s “steady” demeanor and knack for relating to young men reminded him of Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh.