Update: Auburn RS freshman football player Jakell Mitchell was shot and killed

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  2 hours ago
Auburn freshman Jakell Mitchell killed in shooting; police searching for suspect http://ow.ly/FRemc

Auburn freshman football player Jakell Mitchell was shot and killed early Sunday morning at an apartment complex near the Auburn University campus.

The Auburn Police Department is investigating and developing leads as it searches for a suspect.

Police responded to the Tiger Lodge apartment complex at 12:25 a.m., where Mitchell suffered a fatal injury, Auburn police Capt. Will Matthews told AL.com.

Mitchell was rushed to East Alabama Medical Center by ambulance with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Lee County Coroner's Office. He died shortly after arriving at the emergency room. The death is being treated as a homicide.

Mitchell redshirted this season for the Auburn Tigers out of nearby Opelika.

The shooting early Sunday occurred at the same apartment complex Desmonte Leonard killed three men, including former Auburn players Ed Christian and Ladarious Phillips, at a party in the summer of 2012.

Auburn Police Department is looking for info related to the incident.

[SemperHawg]

Same apartment complex where the two former players were killed in 2012.  RS Freshman Jakell Mitchell (Sp?) Shot and killed early Sunday morning.  Prayers for the kids family and friends.

[jbcarol]

Albert Cesare @AlbertCesare  ·  1 hour ago
Jakell Mitchell was a joy to work with, my favorite image of him taken while I was at the Opelika-Auburn News.

[SemperHawg]

http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2014/12/auburn_freshman_jakell_mitchel.html

[jbcarol]

Alex Byington @AUBlog  ·  52 minutes ago
Just after 6 am Sun. & Auburn PD still on scene trying to reconstruct what resulted in the death of Jakell Mitchell.

[jbcarol]

Tom Green @Tomas_Verde  ·  2 hours ago
Trying to update this Jakell Mitchell story as fast as I can. Just speechless right now. Was a great athlete and incredible kid.

[Kevin]

Prayers to everyone.

[PorcineSublime]

No matter rivalries, this is truly sad. Prayers for his family and friends.

[Inhogswetrust]

Very sad. Condolences to his family.

[jbcarol]

Brandon Marcello @bmarcello  ·  1 hour ago
Updates our story on Jakell Mitchell with more information: http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2014/12/auburn_freshman_jakell_mitchel.html ...

[jbcarol]

Auburn Football @FootballAU  ·  48 minutes ago
Our thoughts & prayers go out to Jakell Mitchell's family, friends & teammates.

[WardamnHOGGLE]

Sad.

Prayers

[TNhawgfan]

I can't imagine what his family's experiencing.  Awful

[arkansasstory]

That is horrible... Prayers go out to the family

[jbcarol]

Rodney Garner @coachg76  ·  21 minutes ago
Sad day for the Mitchell & Auburn Families as we lost a Son & Bro. Please keep both in your thoughts & prayers! #RIPJAKELL #AuburnFamily

[Nashville Fan]

Peace to his family.

[AubFaninArk]

Not good.  Its easy to blame the apt. complex as bad news...it is.  But, I hope this wakes up the players and coaches about being the right places and avoid these types of parties.  The event in 2012 turned out to be an angry boyfriend driving in from Montgomery...all signs are pointing to a similar event this time.  This is Gus's first time as the HC for an event like this....I hope he handles it correctly.

[forrest city joe]

Very sad. prayers to the young man's family.and to the people at Auburn.

[jackflash]

Hate to hear this, prayers to his family and teammates. Lost of a young man just at the beginning of life, terrible

[Hogs7672]

Very sad. His family are in my thoughts and prayers.

[jbcarol]

Brandon Marcello @bmarcello  ·  1 hour ago
Police arrest man in shooting death of Auburn football player Jakell Mitchell http://ow.ly/FS3w0

Police have arrested Markale Hart, 22, of Camp Hill. He has been charged with murder.

Round House @RoundHouseOA  ·  1 hour ago
Candlelight vigil for Jakell Mitchell tomorrow (Monday) at 6pm in @DowntownOpelika

[jbcarol]

Joel A. Erickson @JoelAEricksonAU  ·  5 hours ago
Auburn football team grieves at loss of Jakell Mitchell http://s.al.com/CVsADKg

[jbcarol]

Albert Cesare ‏@AlbertCesare  28 minutes ago
Suspect in Jakell Mitchell shooting. Markale Deandra Hart in custody.@MGMAdvertiser pic.twitter.com/STjeRlC4gt

[jbcarol]

Brandon Marcello @bmarcello  ·  18 hours ago

Girlfriend says Auburn's Jakell Mitchell was in argument before shooting http://ow.ly/FSCck

Brandon Marcello @bmarcello  ·  20 hours ago

Man arrested in shooting death of Jakell Mitchell has criminal past http://ow.ly/FSrBU

Brandon Marcello @bmarcello  ·  54 minutes ago

RT @eedgemon: Man suspected of killing Jakell Mitchell could have probation revoked on earlier charge http://s.al.com/2JDytmW

[jbcarol]

Saban asked about Jakell Mitchell, the Auburn player who was killed. "We feel horrible bad for Jakell Mitchell's family. Fine young man that we recruited here." Saban said players have to understand choices and decisions sometimes put you in bad situations and hopefully this is a circumstance you can learn from. "We're very sorry something like this happened."

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  1 hour ago
Auburn, Opelika communities pack church to remember 'fearless' Jakell Mitchell at funeral http://s.al.com/KxqXLlM

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/874290968157192192

The murder trial for the man charged with the murder of former Auburn H-back Jakell Mitchell has been delayed.

Jury selection for the trial of Markale Hart was set to begin Monday morning in Opelika but the trial was delayed due to conflicts with other cases set for trial. According to Alacourt.com, five murder trials and three attempted murder trials were on the docket for Monday morning at the Lee County Courthouse.

A reset date for the trial has yet to be announced.

"There's no date right now," said Jerry Blevins, Hart's attorney. "It won't be tried this term. My guess is it will be set for next term, whenever that is.... It will be reset.... Just got other cases, I believe, that were older that are taking precedent."

The next criminal trial term in Lee County begins Sept. 25.

Hart is charged with the shooting death of Mitchell on Dec. 14, 2014 at the Tiger Lodge at Auburn apartment complex on West Longleaf Drive in Auburn. Hart admitted last year in testimony during an immunity hearing that he shot Mitchell, though he claimed it was in self-defense and that Mitchell was the aggressor in the incident and was the first to pull a weapon that night during an off-campus party. At the time, Hart sought to have the charges dropped based on Alabama's Stand Your Grand law but was denied immunity.

Hart on killing Mitchell: "I ain't have no other choice."

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/888096312440360962

The murder trial for the man charged with the murder of former Auburn H-back Jakell Mitchell over two and a half years ago has been continued until September.

An order signed by Lee County Circuit Court judge Christopher Hughes on Thursday reset the trial for Markale Hart for the week of Sept. 25, when the next criminal trial term is to begin.

Jury selection for Hart's trial was to begin June 12 but the trial was delayed due to conflicts with other cases.

Hart is charged with the murder of Mitchell after a fatal shooting at the Tiger Lodge at Auburn apartment complex in Auburn on Dec. 14, 2014. During testimony at an immunity hearing last year, Hart admitted that he shot Mitchell but claimed it was in self-defense and that Mitchell was the aggressor and the first to pull a weapon during the off-campus party. At the time, Hart sought to have the charges dropped based on Alabama's Stand Your Ground law but was denied immunity.

Hart can still claim self-defense during the murder trial, which was initially set to begin Dec. 5 of last year but Hart was granted a continuance because a witness for the defense was on active duty with the Alabama National Guard and stationed in Kuwait...

[jbcarol]

Man who killed Auburn football player granted continuance for unrelated DUI, stolen gun charges

The preliminary hearing for the man awaiting trial for murder in the 2014 shooting death of an Auburn football player on unrelated charges of receiving stolen property, a stolen gun and driving under the influence has been delayed.

Markale Deandre Hart was due to appear in Tallapoosa County Circuit Court in Dadeville for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday afternoon but was granted a continuance until Oct. 10, according to court documents.

Hart was released on bond for the murder charge when he was arrested in Dadeville on Feb. 26. His bond was later revoked and he remains in jail awaiting the murder trial for the Dec. 2014 shooting death of Auburn H-back Jakell Mitchell on Sept. 25 in Lee County.

Dadeville police reported Hart blew a .16 on the breathalyzer test, which is twice the legal limit, and failed a field sobriety test after they pulled him over on the evening of Feb. 26. Hart, who previously was convicted of burglary in Tallapoosa County, was charged with DUI and police searched his vehicle and found a pistol, which was reported stolen.

During testimony at an immunity hearing on the murder charge last year, Hart admitted he shot Mitchell, but claimed it was in self-defense and that Mitchell was the aggressor and first to pull a weapon during a confrontation at the off-campus party in 2014. Hart sought to have the charges dropped based on Alabama's Stand Your Ground law...