An ex-NFL prospect’s father has been charged with shooting him dead in the chest – with a reported row over a bite inflicted by his girlfriend’s dog said to have sparked the shocking alleged altercation.
Otis Anderson Jr played at the Unversity of Central Florida (UCF) for the Knights and had a brief spell at a top NFL team’s training camp.
The 23-year-old was allegedly killed by his father, Otis Lee Anderson Sr, at his dad’s home in Jacksonville, Florida, according to a report from the local Sheriff’s Office.
Anderson Sr, 52, was arrested the following day and now faces one count of first-degree murder and another for first-degree attempted murder after his wife, Denise, was also shot.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We have now confirmed and are devastated to hear of the passing of Otis Anderson Jr. He was revered by his teammates, our fans, and everyone within Knight Nation.<br><br>Our deepest condolences go out to everyone who loved Otis. He was taken too soon and will truly be missed. <a href="https://t.co/b99DfoDytl">pic.twitter.com/b99DfoDytl</a></p>— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) <a href="https://twitter.com/UCF_Football/status/1465786931892133892?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
He is being held without bond and is expected to appear in court on December 22, say ESPN.
The disagreement allegedly broke out after the elder Anderson was bitten by his son’s girlfriend’s dog, according to NBC’s account of the arrest report.
Father and son then got into a heated verbal disagreement, which caused his mother to advise Otis Jr to go upstairs.
As husband and wife also started arguing, Jr returned to the downstairs area of the property to check on his mother when he heard his father overturn a recliner.
Anderson Jr is said to have suffered gunshot wounds to his chest and back after he and his father began rowing a final time.