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Former UM football player charged with second-degree murder in connection with deadly shooting at Florida bar

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Published  May 6, 2025 11:41am EDT
Florida
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • Former UM football player Avantae Traeviyon Williams has been arrested in connection with a deadly shooting at a DeLand bar.
    • The shooting killed 32-year-old Keshod Harris and injured a bartender.
    • Williams played football for the University of Miami, but, according to ESPN, was kicked off the team after being arrested on domestic violence charges.

DELAND, Fla. - A former University of Miami football player has been arrested in connection with a recent homicide at a bar in DeLand. 

The backstory:

Law enforcement officers with the DeLand Police Department and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office went to McCabe’s Bar, located at 225 N. Amelia Avenue in DeLand around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday to investigate a deadly shooting. 

Witnesses told investigators that a fistfight broke out between several men inside the bar and one man pulled out a gun and began firing. 

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Police say the victim, identified as 32-year-old Keshod Harris of DeLand, was struck multiple times in the chest. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries. His next of kin was notified. 

A bartender was also injured in the shooting, sustaining gunshot wounds to both hands, according to the DeLand Police Department. The bartender was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

After the shooting, the suspect took off. 

Avantae Williams mugshot courtesy of the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.

Avantae Williams mugshot courtesy of the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. 

Dig deeper:

On Monday, DeLand police announced the arrest of Avantae Traeviyon Williams, 24, of DeLand in connection with the deadly shooting at McCabe’s bar. 

Williams played football for the University of Miami, but, according to ESPN, was kicked off the team after being arrested on domestic violence charges. 

In high school, Williams was rated the No. 1 safety in the 2020 class by Rivals and No. 40 overall recruit in the country. He was also ranked No. 51 on ESPN300 and No. 1 safety by ESPN.

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 20: Avantae Williams #15 of the Miami Hurricanes in action against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Hard Rock Stadium on November 20, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

What's next:

The deadly shooting is still under investigation. Detectives say there were about 40 people inside the bar at the time of the shooting and they may have information that could help bring justice in the case. 

The Source: This story was written with information posted by the DeLand Polcie Department, the University of Miami and ESPN. 

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