By Staff
Jay High School's softball team has pulled out of the T.R. Miller Invitational tournament scheduled for this weekend.
The move comes in the wake of a shooting Friday night that killed T.R. Miller graduate Getyron Lopez "Gus" Benjamin. Benjamin was killed when shots were fired at the car in which he was riding as it drove away from a late-night party near Jay in Santa Rosa County. Robert Franklin Floyd, 21, of Country Mill Road near Jay, remains in jail on one charge of open murder and three counts of attempted murder.
T.R. Miller coaches confirmed that Jay High pulled out of the tournament but would not comment.
Benjamin was laid to rest Thursday.
Earlier this week, Santa Rosa County offcials downplayed any racial problems as a result of the shooting. Benjamin was black; Floyd is white.
The tournament is still on and will begin today (Friday) at 4 p.m. in Brewton at the Brewton YMCA Sports Park.
Tournament play will continue Saturday at 9 a.m.
T.R. Miller along with T.R. Miller's JV team, W.S. Neal Atmore, Northview, Monroe County, Florala, and Clarke County will participate in the tournament.
Jay dropped out along with J.U. Blacksher. Blacksher's request to drop out was in no relation to the Jay incident last weekend. Clarke County replaced Jay and T.R Miller's JV team replaced Blacksher.
See Saturday's Brewton Standard for more on this story.