JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A former University of Central Florida football player was fatally shot by his father after an argument about a dog bite, police said.
Former UCF Knights running back Otis Anderson Jr., 23, was shot to death Monday night in Jacksonville. His father, Otis Anderson Sr., 52, has been arrested on charges of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, according to a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office report.
Police were called to a shooting and found Anderson Jr. suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. His mother had also been shot.
Anderson Jr. was taken to a Jacksonville hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to the report, the fatal confrontation began after Anderson Sr. was bitten by his son's girlfriend's dog and "was bleeding throughout the house."
The heavily redacted report quoted Anderson Sr. as saying that "Anderson Jr. charged at him" and that his son "had never disrespected him before this incident."
Anderson Jr. was a star running back for the Knights from 2017-20, finishing his college career with 2,182 rushing yards, 3,708 all-purpose yards and 27 total touchdowns -- all of which rank among the top 10 in program history.
We have now confirmed and are devastated to hear of the passing of Otis Anderson Jr. He was revered by his teammates, our fans, and everyone within Knight Nation.
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) November 30, 2021
Our deepest condolences go out to everyone who loved Otis. He was taken too soon and will truly be missed. pic.twitter.com/b99DfoDytl
UCF's football team wrote on Twitter that Anderson Jr. was "revered by his teammates, our fans and everyone within Knight Nation."
"He was taken too soon and will truly be missed," the tweet said.
