New England Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather has been ruled out as a suspect in the Feb. 28 shootings in Apopka, Fla., a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department said.

The incident had generated headlines in New England in March.

Quentin Taylor and Nico Stanley were both injured in the shooting, and John Morgan, the lawyer for the two men, told multiple media outlets at the time that they claimed Meriweather was the shooter.

Meriweather graduated from Apopka High School in 2002 and played college football at the University of Miami. He was taken in the first round of the 2007 draft by the Patriots and completed his fourth NFL season in 2010.

Meriweather's lawyer said in March that he had delivered witness statements that showed his client should not be a suspect.

"We have confirmed that Brandon was nothing but a peace-keeper," Fort Lauderdale attorney Adam Swickle told the Orlando Sentinel at the time. "All of the witnesses confirmed that at no point did Brandon have a gun, or threaten to shoot, and did not shoot anyone."