A North Texas football signee was among three people shot and killed at an apartment complex in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, the Elgin (Texas) Independent School District confirmed in a statement.
Willie Simmons III, a senior at Elgin High School, signed with the Mean Green in December and was set to join the team this summer. The school district said Alyssa Broderick, who played on the school’s girls’ basketball team, was also killed during the shooting.
Another woman was reportedly killed along with Simmons and Broderick. Police have not yet identified the victims.
“We are heartbroken by the news of this senseless tragedy, and we extend our deepest condolences to the families of Willie Simmons III and Alyssa Broderick,” Elgin ISD superintendent Jodi Duron said in a statement. “The Elgin ISD community grieves the loss of these two young, promising souls.”
Duron said Simmons “was an exceptional young man and leader among his peers. Strong, both academically and athletically, he represented the very best of Elgin ISD. He was captain of our football team; a friend to everyone he met; and most recently, recruited to play football for the University of North Texas.”
The North Texas football website noted that Simmons, a linebacker, was a two-time unanimous all-district selection and three-time academic all-district nominee.
Mean Green coach Seth Littrell couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Police announced Monday that Stephen Broderick, 41, has been arrested. Officers had been searching for Broderick, a former deputy with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office in Austin, since Sunday, according to Austin Police Interim Chief Joseph Chacon.
Chacon also told reporters that “the victims were all known to this suspect.”
The Austin American-Statesman reported Broderick was taken into custody around 8:30 a.m. ET on Monday without incident. The report said two people called 911 after seeing a man walking on a road outside Manor, Texas. The American-Statesman reported that Manor police officers and Travis County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Broderick, who was armed.
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza said in a statement Sunday that Broderick was arrested in June for the alleged sexual assault of a child. He had been released on $50,000 bond.
The American-Statesman reported that Broderick, a property crimes detective, resigned after his arrest. The newspaper also reported that his wife filed for a divorce and sought a protective order following his arrest.