APPolice have arrested two men in connection to the shootings over the weekend that took the lives of former Auburn players Ed Christian and Ladarious Phillips and wounded others.
Per the Associated Press, Jeremy S. Thomas, of Montgomery, Ala., and another person whose name has not been released have been arrested, according to an Auburn police report released Monday afternoon. A third person connected to the shooting, Desmonte Leonard, remains at large.
Thomas was apprehended Monday after he allegedly fled the scene with Leonard following the shootings and has been charged with hindering prosecution in the first degree. He is currently being held in a Montgomery jail. Leonard (pictured, on paper) allegedly fled the scene in a white Chevrolet that was found abandoned on the way to Montgomery, Ala., where Leonard is believed to be located.
Leonard, who is facing three counts of capital murder, has a history of being on the wrong side of the law. In 2008, he was arrested and charged with carrying a pistol without a license. In 2009, he was charged with assault after allegedly shooting a man in the groin, but prosecutors later dropped the case after the victim said Leonard wasn’t the shooter.
The shooting, which is reported to have started over a woman, resulted in the deaths of Phillips, Christian and 20-year-old Demario Pitts. Wounded in the shootings were Auburn lineman Eric Mack, Xavier Moss and John Robertson, who remains in critical condition after being shot in the head.
Wish there were some easy way to keep people with Desmonte Leonard’s history from being able to so easily get their hands on guns. Pray law enforcement can bring him in without anymore innocent people being injured.
Keeping him in jail for life would be a great start.
Hardened guys like these realize there’s ‘life after jail’, so it actually emboldens them. They don’t fear it. It can actually be a badge of honor.
Keeping them in w/o parole is sadly the best defense.
The death penalty might deter these lowlifes. A slap on the hands and multiple appeals is a waste of taxpayers money on the type of guys that commit these type of crimes. Giving them a paid vacation for years at taxpayers expense is no deterrent.
@polegojim …
Yes, that will work now that he’s apparently been responsible for murdering three people, with a fourth clinging to life. In fact, he’s likely to get the death penalty. But it should have been harder for someone with his history of gun violence to get a gun in the first place.
I respect the right of the people to bear arms, but it’s insane that people like this guy can so easily get access to guns and carry concealed weapons around.
The toothpaste is out of the tube. Guns are little harder to get a hold of than a bag of weed.
Anyone capable of committing a capital crime is probably incapable of comprehending the deterrence of capital punishment.
I read an article about Leonard shot a teenager a couple years ago and the kid was so scared that Leonard would come back after him that he told the police he wasn`t the one who shot him.Not many people will tell where hes at cause of getting hurt also.Its a matter of time they catch him and those that are keeping him hid are a accessory to crime.So anyone knows where hes at should go or call the police before anyone else gets hurt.Guns don`t kill people its people that kill people.I keep guns in my home for protection but they are in a safe and not easy to steal.Auburn is a awesome place with fine folk,i pray for their peace.
I’m guessing kozbee is a rational, responsible gun-owner, as are 99.9 percent. But scum like Leonard are always going to be able to get a gun illegally.
it sounds like they may have found him. here’s a link to a live news feed.
http://www.wsfa.com/Global/category.asp?C=218796&nav=menu33_4_3
Good post auburntigers34