Murder charge laid in shooting death of Edmonton Elks running back

A 24-year-old man from Memphis, Tenn., has been arrested and charged with killing Edmonton Elk Christian Saulsberry.

DeSoto County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to the scene in the nearby town of Walls, Miss., at 3:20 a.m. Saturday morning.

"Saulsberry was shot in the abdomen and leg while attending a party. Saulsberry was pronounced deceased en route to the hospital," spokesperson Tish Clark confirmed to CTV News Edmonton.

Memphis Police arrested Mark McDaniel, 24, at his home in that city Saturday afternoon.

He has been charged with second-degree murder, and Clark said he would be extradited to DeSoto County.

"Christian was a great kid. A kid with a ton of potential. A kid with an enormous smile, a guy that loved the opportunity, loved the game, loved being around his teammates," said Elks Running Backs Coach Jordan Linnen.

Police didn't say what led up to the shooting or comment on a motive.

The coach said he spoke to his players, including Saulsberry, to be careful when they went back home for the offseason.

"Unfortunately, jealousy or envy can turn into situations like this," Linnen said of what professional athletes can face in their hometowns.

"I hope that as the details become more clear we can understand the motivation. But you never understand a loss like that because that kid had so much potential and such a bright future."

He promised Saulsberry's mom that her son will not be forgotten by his teammates and said he expects the sudden loss to motivate the Elks to achieve more next season.

Saulsberry, 25, was from Southhaven, Miss., another community that's part of the Greater Memphis area.

He played eight games with the Elks and was named most outstanding special teams player in the Elks 2022 team awards in October.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Steven Dyer