Arkansas State defensive tackle Markel Owens was one of two men shot and killed in a home invasion Wednesday night in his hometown of Jackson, Tenn., the Jackson Sun reported.
Owens, who just finished his junior season, was a reserve for the Red Wolves. He played in 11 games in 2013, making four tackles; he had played in eight games in his first two seasons at Arkansas State.
The Sun reported that police said Owens, his mother and his mother's husband, Johnny Shivers, were shot Wednesday night by two masked men. Police said Owens and Shivers fought with the robbers and were shot during the struggle, and the robbers then shot Owens' mother.
Police said the robbers got away with a large amount of cash. Police also said they found a large quantity of marijuana inside the residence and that they believe the robbers had knowledge of the drugs and/or cash.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.