Faulkner Ryan Brooks: Faulkner Football Star Shot Dead During Home Invasion, Friends Charged

Faulkner University student Ryan Brooks was shot and killed during a home invasion in Alabama on Wednesday night. According to AL.com, Brooks and three other friends broke into a home with intentions of robbing the homeowner. Brooks, who played on the university’s freshman football team, was shot by the homeowner in self-defense, according to police. Brooks’ actions are surprising to his family, who say that “he didn’t live the way that he died.”

“Some of the things they’re going to say are not going to be indicative of who Ryan was. I can’t go into it right now, but there’s going to be more to the story,” said Brooks’ grandfather, Barry. “He made mistakes, we all have,/ Maybe in the last few weeks, he made some that put him in the situation he was in last night. Some mistakes cost us more than others. Those mistakes don’t change who we are,” he added.

Faulkner’s Ryan Brooks was pronounced dead at the scene of the break-in. According to Yahoo! News, Ryan’s three friends, Marshall Wall, 19, Ronnie Williams, 19, both of Loxley, and Tobias Russell, 19, were all charged with murder. While none of them actually “killed” Brooks, there is a law in Alabama that explains the charges.

“A space on the affidavits for ‘damage done or property attacked’ is filled out with the listing ‘narcotics.’

“Wall, Williams, and Russell face the murder charge, despite not being the ones who pulled the trigger, because Brooks was killed during the commission of a robbery attempt in which they are suspects. They were arrested Thursday and transported to the Montgomery County Detention Facility where they are being held on bonds of $75,000 each.'”

Faulkner University’s responded to the death of Ryan Brooks on Thursday.

“In its 72-year history, Faulkner University has never had a shooting involving a student. The safety and well-being of our students is paramount at this university,” Faulkner President Billy D. Hilyer said.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the homeowner has not been charged in the shooting death of Brooks, 19. Rumors that this was an incident of fraternity hazing circulated soon after the incident, but Faulkner Chief of Police Tony Dean said that there is no indication that this incident had anything to do with an illegal school ritual of any kind.

“There is no indication this (homicide) is an overflow of something that occurred on campus,” Dean said.

Police are still investigating the incident. The suspects are being held at the Montgomery County Detention Facility on $75,000 bond.

[Photo courtesy of Faulkner University via CBS News]