Former Indiana offensive lineman Chris Beaty was killed over the weekend in Indianapolis as violence erupted in the city. According to the Indianapolis Star, Beaty suffered multiple gunshot wounds in a shooting that was reported just before midnight on Saturday. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Beaty was just 38 years old.
The shooting was one of two separate deadly incidents in the city over the weekend as protests surged in response to police brutality and the death of George Floyd. However, it is not yet clear if Beaty's death was directly related to those protests.
Beaty had deep roots to Indianapolis. As a member of Cathedral High School, Beaty was part of a football team that won three 4A state championships in 1996, 1998 and 1999. He played for Indiana from 2000 to 2004 and later became a prominent businessman in Indianapolis, running multiple nightclubs in the area. He also founded an events promotion company, Fresh Marketing, in 2011. He remained involved in the Hoosiers program, joining a Zoom call with coach Tom Allen in April. On Monday morning, Indiana tweeted out its condolences in response to Beaty's death.
We are saddened by the tragic loss of Chris Beaty.
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) June 1, 2020
RIP #96. pic.twitter.com/WzMALbmLhS
Allen expressed his condolences as well on Monday.
"I am at a loss for words. The news of the passing of Chris Beaty is just devastating," Allen said in a statement. "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. 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! LEO"
The Indianapolis Star reported that a suspect was in custody related to one of the two shootings, but officers have no specified which one.
