Chris Beaty, a former Indiana University football player, was shot and killed on the street in downtown Indianapolis this weekend during one of the riots happening in cities around the country in response to the death of George Floyd.
Beaty, 38, played for the Hoosiers from 2000-04 and remained actively involved in the program and the community as a mentor for players and a local businessman. He managed nightclubs, founded Fresh Marketing LLC for event planning and recently helped launch Worldwide Masks, which sells face masks for protection during the coronavirus pandemic, according to multiple reports.
Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon – a former Hoosiers basketball star – tweeted “R.I.P Chris Beaty Was great guy, we had some good times at IU. You will be truly missed bro.”
Indianapolis Colts pass-rusher Kemoko Turay, who was drafted out of Rutgers in 2018, built a relationship with Beaty and tweeted, ‘Another life taken away.. just a week ago we spoke and just In a snap of a finger to hear that you not with us because you got your life taken away no reasons. I’m for the protesting but the violence got stop in both parties and this killing is breaking family and friends heart.”
The Marion County Coroner’s Office identified Beaty and 18-year-old Dorian Murrell as the two victims killed during separate shootings that occurred late Saturday and early Sunday. Beaty reportedly suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Violence erupted on the streets of Indianapolis for three straight nights, as tensions ran high between police and protesters.
Police told the Indianapolis Star that one arrest has been made in the fatal shootings, but did not specify whether it was in connection to the death of Beaty or Murrell.