#Domestic dispute preceded Travis Rudolph’s murder arrest: affidavit

Travis Rudolph opened fire with a rifle on a group of four individuals who showed up at his house in response to a domestic dispute between the former Giants wide receiver and his girlfriend, witnesses told police, according to a probable cause affidavit published by WPTV.

Rudolph, who made eight catches as an undrafted rookie for the 2017 Giants, was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder Wednesday in Florida. Police found one person injured on the scene – taken to a local hospital in critical but stable condition – and another dead from multiple gunshot wounds in the passenger seat of a Cadillac that had fled the scene.

One female inside Rudolph’s house blurted out the incident was “self-defense” to investigators, but the former Florida State football star, the unidentified woman and another person declined to speak further with police and invoked their right to an attorney, per the affidavit.

Rudolph and a woman who identified herself as his girlfriend had a physical altercation Tuesday night, according to the affidavit. Hours later, four people arrived at Rudolph’s home in a Cadillac and knocked on his door with what was later described to police as an intention to talk. They were unarmed, one person in the group told police.

A fight broke out and one witness reportedly tried to break it up. Rudolph, who was described as “immediately combative and confrontational,” went inside his home and returned with a rifle and started shooting as the others got in the car to flee, police said. Rudolph allegedly chased after the car and continued firing.

A neighbor claimed to witness the fight between Rudolph and his girlfriend, and later hear the gunshots and spot Rudolph walking back into his home carrying a rifle, per the report.  

The affidavit mentions outdoor security cameras on the property but does not specify if the cameras were functional or if any footage was recovered. 

The driver of the car fleeing the scene did not realize one person was left behind, police said.