Police eye house in search for shooting suspect

Jun 12, 2012 - 3:23 AM Montgomery, AL (Sports Network) - Authorities surrounded a house Monday night where a person resembling the suspect in the shooting deaths of two former Auburn football players over the weekend was believed to be holed up in an attic.

The suspect, Desmonte D. Leonard, 22, is accused of shooting six people near the Auburn campus on Saturday night, killing three.

Montgomery mayor Todd Strange said authorities had responded to a call that Leonard might be in the house after receiving an earlier call that a person resembling him was in the area.

Strange said officials had independent confirmation that Leonard was in the house, though he couldn't "unequivocally" say it was him and said there had been no contact.

Tear gas had been deployed and people in the neighborhood in east Montgomery were being asked to remain in their homes. Some had been evacuated, Strange said.

Public safety director Chris Murphy said they had "technology" that showed there is a person in the attic and that they were going through it "inch by inch" to find him.

He said it would be risky to send in a tactical team.

"You just cannot rush it," said Murphy. "But we've narrowed it down to a very small area. We believe he's in the attic of this house."

Police Sgt. Regina Duckett said they were trying to get the suspect out of the house as safely as possible.

The FBI and U.S. Marshals were among the law enforcement on the scene.

Former players Edward Christian and LaDarious Phillips were among the three killed in the shooting while current offensive lineman Eric Mack was wounded and is expected to fully recover.