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Former teammate reflects on Travis Rudolph murder arrest

'Everyone is innocent until proven guilty,' Andrew Owers says of former FSU, Cardinal Newman High School wide receiver
Posted at 10:50 PM, Apr 07, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-07 23:56:51-04

LAKE PARK, Fla. — A man who didn't want his identity revealed describes the number of shots he heard early Wednesday along North Redwood Drive in Lake Park.

"An hour later I came outside, there were cruisers everywhere and crime scene tape," the man said.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said one man was taken to a hospital from the Lake Park shooting scene. A second man was found dead a short distance away in West Palm Beach.

The man deputies have in custody on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder is Travis Rudolph.

Rudolph, 25, was a standout athlete at Cardinal Newman High School. The school later honored Rudolph's jersey after he became a star wide receiver at Florida State University and then played in the NFL.

Andrew Owers played with Rudolph on the varsity football and basketball teams from 2012-15. He's heard about his former teammate's alleged crime.

"Obviously, these are serious allegations, but everyone is innocent until proven guilty," he said.

While at FSU in August 2016, Rudolph made national headlines after he sat and ate lunch with a student on the autism spectrum who was eating by himself.

Florida State's Travis Rudolph eats lunch with boy with autism

"From what I knew, he was a phenomenal person," Owers said.

Rudolph left FSU early for the NFL. He bounced around the league but ended up with Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The team released him Wednesday.

His life has also been touched by tragedy when his father was killed in an accidental shooting in 2017.

Now, Rudolph stands accused of a deadly attack. No details on the victim have been released.

Rudolph is in jail and will have his first court appearance Thursday.