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TPC Sawgrass had to delay opening gates for The Players Championship after an alleged murderer fled the scene of a crime and ran onto the golf course. Fortunately, the suspect was captured.
Unfortunately, patrons must wait a little bit longer to get onto the grounds.
Gates were originally scheduled to open for the golf tournament at 7:30 a.m. They will not open until 9:00 a.m. because of the unexpected criminal activity.
An alleged murderer ran onto the golf course at TPC Sawgrass after a fatal shooting.
Deputies at the St. Johns County Sherrif’s Office received a call around 10:30 p.m. on Friday night. They quickly reported to the Walgreens at 860 A1A, near Palm Valley Road, after multiple reports of shots fired.
They found two people who had been shot more than once upon arrival to the scene. Both victims were rushed to the hospital but later died from their injuries.
The shooting appeared to be connected to a domestic situation. The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Christian Barrios, supposedly knew the victims.
TPC Sawgrass is located just a few miles from where the deadly shooting took place. Barrios ran west from the scene to evade the officers in pursuit. Canine units tracked him onto the golf course.
Deputies said that Barrios spoke with multiple employees and security guards at TPC Sawgrass. He at one point picked up a PGA Tour radio and even stole a black BMW while on the grounds.
The search continued overnight. Even the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Jacksonville Beach Police Department and St. Augustine Police Department got involved.
The suspect was captured before the Players Championship.
Barrios was able to avoid capture until the early hours of Saturday morning while investigators continued to process several crime scenes. Nassau County officers in the far northeastern tip of Florida pursued the stolen vehicle and eventually forced a crash into the woods.
The suspect fled on foot and was still at large until sometime just before 8:00 a.m.
It was at that time that the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office announced Barrios’ arrest. He was captured near the Florida-Georgia border. This was the 20-somethingth time he has been arrested in his life.
TPC Sawgrass is no longer unsafe for patrons after the capture of Barrios but the PGA decided to delay the opening of the gates from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. due to “operational considerations.” Hospitality areas are also delayed opening until 11:00 a.m.
PGA
The Players Championship is set to continue as scheduled. All of the original tee times will still go off as planned.