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Family holds vigil for former NFL player, Plant HS star

It’s been a week since former Plant High football standout Eric Patterson was shot and killed in his home.

TAMPA, Fla. — It’s been a week since former Plant High School football standout Eric Patterson was shot and killed in his home.

Friends and family gathered for a vigil Friday night to remember him and pray for answers. 

Police still haven’t made any arrests in the case. 

Patterson's roommate told Tampa police a commotion in the living room woke him up Saturday morning. He saw Patterson on the floor and someone else running away.

“I miss my brother. We all miss our brother,” said Patterson’s sister, Javonica. “I just want the killer to come forward. You didn't have to kill him. What was the purpose?”

Police said the killing doesn't appear to be random. 

Patterson played at Ball State University and had a short career in the NFL.

“I just don't understand it,” Eric Patterson, Sr. said about his son’s murder. “It's just senseless that people take another person's life. You just don't know how many people it affects.”

Police are offering a $3,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest.

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