WEST PALM BEACH, Florida. () – Former Florida football player Travis Rudolph was arrested early Wednesday morning in South Florida for shooting one man and injuring another, authorities said.
Rudolph, 25, was charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, according to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office press release.
Deputies responded to the double shooting in the Lake Park area shortly after midnight. One man was taken to a local hospital for treatment, while the other was found dead a short distance south in West Palm Beach, authorities said.
Investigators identified Rudolph as a shooting suspect and arrested him shortly thereafter. Officials did not say what led to the shooting or why Rudolf was a suspect.
Rudolph was the lead receiver of the state of Florida in 2015 and 2016 and left the team prematurely to enter the NFL draft in 2017. He went undrafted, but eventually signed a contract with the New York Giants and then with the Miami Dolphins. He also spent some time with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League. The team released him on Wednesday.
Rudolph gained national attention in 2016 when he became a viral video of eating lunch with an autistic student during a team visit to Tallahassee High School. Rudolph’s father died a year later after the gun was accidentally discharged at a strip club in West Palm Beach.
Rudolph was held without handcuffs. His first court will is scheduled for Thursday. Prison records did not list lawyers who could comment on his behalf.
