Former FSU star Tamorrion Terry indicted on murder complaint

Former Florida State star Tamorrion Terry has been indicted on a murder complaint stemming from a June 2018 shooting that took place as he entered his redshirt freshman season.

Terry and 10 others were indicted by a grand jury in his native Turner County, Ga., last week on a felony murder complaint involving the death of a 21-year-old woman, Za’Quavia Smith.

The June 22 indictment does not give any details about the case, but news reports from the time do. An area TV station, WALB-10, reported that Smith and six others were shot at the Studio 2.0 nightclub. Two were airlifted to a hospital.

Surveillance footage showed multiple shooters, the station reported. When the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested 17-year-old Jontavious Coley a few days after the incident, an Ashburn Police Department official said the shooting was gang-related.

“Basically, it boils down to they’re wearing one color, this other gang is wearing another color,” Maj. Richard Purvis told WALB-10. “They’re, in technical terms or street language, they’re beefing.”

It’s unclear what new information, if any, led to last week’s indictment.

Terry signed with the Seminoles in 2017 as a three-star recruit and redshirted that season under Jimbo Fisher. He blossomed into a big-play receiving threat and earned the nickname “Scary Terry.”

He ranks in the top 10 in Seminoles history in yards (2,221) and receptions per game (3.93). His 1,188 yards in 2019 were the seventh-highest single-season total at FSU.

Terry opted out during last season because of a nagging knee injury and to prepare for the NFL. He went undrafted and signed as a free agent with the Seahawks, who released him earlier this week.

Terry is the second FSU receiver to be implicated in a murder case this year. Travis Rudolph faces a first-degree murder charge in Palm Beach County from an incident that began with a fight with his girlfriend, according to court records. The State Attorney’s Office recently wrote in court records that it does not intend to seek the death penalty against him. Rudolph also ranks among the 10 most-prolific receivers in FSU history.

Rudolph and Terry did not overlap at FSU, but both were recruited by Fisher’s staff.

The Miami Herald first reported the indictment.

Stay with tampabay.com for updates on this developing story.

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