The man who died is Eric Patterson.
The 26-year-old starred at Plant High School in Tampa before playing at Ball State University and the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams.
Officers say around 5 a.m., Patterson's roommate was woken up by a commotion at a house in the 500 block of West Plaza Place. The roommate went to the living area and found an unknown person in the house and Patterson on the ground.
According to police, the unknown person ran from the home.
Patterson was laying on his back and appeared to have been shot. Police arrived and started life saving measures, but he died at an area hospital.
Officers say the shooting does not appear to be random.
Robert Weiner, Patterson's former coach at Plant High School, and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy tweeted out some thoughts after learning of Patterson's death.
Accidental Shootings
Far fewer Americans fall victim to firearm accidents than some two decades ago, even though people own more guns, according to new data.Decreased popularity of hunting, improved trauma care, and gun safety education campaigns have likely helped decreased the fatalities.
