Desmonte Leonard, the lead suspect in the Auburn shootings, turned himself in Tuesday evening. (AP)

A big break in the Auburn shooting case, three days after the deaths of Ed Christian and Ladarious Phillips: Alleged shooter Desmonte Leonard turned himself in to law enforcement Tuesday night in Montgomery. The AP reports the surrender was arranged by Leonard’s family and defense attorney Susan James.

AU president Jay Gogue released the following statement after the arrest: ”We appreciate the dedication and commitment of the Auburn City Police Department and other law enforcement agencies. This is a difficult time for our campus and community. We’re remembering those who lost their lives, and it’s important that we pull together to help those who are grieving and recovering. We’re offering counseling to students, and we’ve reached out to the families. I ask everyone to offer your thoughts, prayers and support to those who need it.”

Our continued condolences to the Auburn community and families of the victims, and very best wishes to Eric Mack for a rapid recovery.

Police are investigating the University Heights shooting, which left three dead and three wounded. (Landov)

Two former Auburn football players, offensive lineman Ed Christian and running back Ladarious Phillips, were killed Saturday night at an off-campus pool party, victims of a mass shooting following a reported argument over a woman. Both were 20 years old. AU offensive lineman Eric Mack sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.

In a Sunday afternoon press conference, Auburn police chief Tommy Dawson stated that any association between the shooting and the football program was entirely coincidental: “The only connection that the Auburn football team has to this is they are victims of a brutal shooting.”

Suspected shooter Desmonte Leonard of Montgomery has not been located by the police at the time of this writing. The FBI and U.S. Marshals are offering a combined $15,000 in rewards for information leading to Leonard’s capture and conviction.

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