Report: Former Saints defensive end Will Smith shot and killed

[kurtfaulk]

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Report: Former Saints defensive end Will Smith shot and killed
Posted by Mike Florio on April 10, 2016, 2:01 AM EDT

AP
Staff photographer Michael DeMocker of theNew Orleans Times-Picayune reports via Twitter that former Saints defensive end Will Smith was shot and killed in New Orleans late Saturday night.

DeMocker attributes to unidentified witnesses the news that Smith has died and his wife was wounded. One photo posted by DeMocker shows former Saints running back Pierre Thomas at the scene, “distraught” at the news that Smith was murdered.

The most recent item on the Times-Picayune website reports that a man was killed and a woman was injured in a shooting, but the article does not as of this posting identify the victims.

Twitter currently is buzzing with the news. Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, a New Orleans native who played college football at LSU, hasacknowledged the news. Also, “RIP Will Smith” is trending.

Smith posted on Instagram earlier Saturday a photo from the French Quarter Fest in New Orleans.

A first-round pick in 2004, Smith played nine years for the Saints. He had a career-high 13 sacks in 2009, a season that culminated in the franchise’s only NFL championship.

If the report from the Times-Picayune is accurate, we extend our condolences to Smith, his family, friends, teammates, and colleagues.

UPDATE 2:05 a.m. ET: The online article posted by the New Orleans Times-Picayune now confirms that Will Smith was killed in the shooting, according to New Orleans police.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...h-shot-and-killed/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs

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[tempests]

Will and his wife were rear ended, he and the other driver have words. Tough guy pulls out a gun and blows him away. Now three kids lose their dad.

Senseless.

 

[Roman Snow]

Oh man. That sucks. Prayers to the family.

Just a side note for the writer of the article:

If the report from the Times-Picayune is accurate, we extend our Condolences to Smith, his family, friends, teammates, and colleagues.

You don't extend condolences to the dead guy. Bad form. alm:

 

[CGI_Ram]

Will and his wife were rear ended, he and the other driver have words. Tough guy pulls out a gun and blows him away. Now three kids lose their dad.

Senseless.

Man.

I've been reading the stories on ESPN, CNN, etc.

The shooter is such a coward. Who does that?

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Will and his wife were rear ended, he and the other driver have words. Tough guy pulls out a gun and blows him away. Now three kids lose their dad.

Senseless.

What? Usually the guy doing the rear ending is apologizing for his stupid mistake and endangering the victims lives. Instead he shoots them? Sounds like he was freaked on some kind of substance.

 

[DaveFan'51]

Will and his wife were rear ended, he and the other driver have words. Tough guy pulls out a gun and blows him away. Now three kids lose their dad.

Senseless.

Terribly Sad News! I hope his wife recovers quickly! For the Kids sake!! My prayers go out for them!!

 

[fearsomefour]

Man.

I've been reading the stories on ESPN, CNN, etc.

The shooter is such a coward. Who does that?

It happens a lot.
But according to the news the police are the problem, right?

 

[CGI_Ram]

But according to the news the police are the problem, right?

No doubt. Don't get me started on that.

 

[kurtfaulk]

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i don't think we can make any judgments on initial reports. what if the shooter felt threatened by smith? he's a pretty big guy. not that he has a right to shoot him but we have no idea what happened out there. i don't think he jumped out of the car all guns blazing. but then again why would he shoot smith's wife? maybe he is just a crazy dirtbag. as with all these incidents you don't find out what really happened until the facts are stated in court.

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[Ram65]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...l-smith-killed-shooting-new-orleans/82861242/

Ex-Saints DE Will Smith shot dead; suspect charged with second-degree murder
Lyons Yellin and Ramon Antonio Vargas, WWL-TV11:04 a.m. EDT April 10, 2016
TWEET 5LINKEDIN 73COMMENTEMAILMORE

NEW ORLEANS — Former New Orleans Saintsdefensive end Will Smith was killed in a shootingspurred by an apparent road rage incident late Saturday. Orleans Parish Coroner Dr. Jeffrey Rouse confirmed Smith's identity early Sunday morning.

Smith's wife Racquel also was shot twice in the right leg, police said, and was treated at University Medical Center.

The shooting happened about 11:30 p.m. after a three-car accident near Sophie Wright Place and Felicity Street in the Lower Garden District, New Orleans Police Department spokesman Juan Barnes said.

New Orleans police booked 28-year-old Cardell Hayes, 28, with second-degree murder on Sunday morning, according to The Advocate. The paper reports Hayes pled guilty in 2014 as a first-time offender to illegal carrying of a weapon as well as possession of drug paraphernalia. He was sentenced to six months probation.

A Hummer H2 rear-ended Smith's Mercedes-Benz SUV, Barnes said, causing Smith's vehicle to rear-end another car driven by one of his friends.


USA TODAY

Ex-teammates, NFL players react to ex-Saints DE Will Smith's death


Smith, 34, and the driver of the Hummer "exchanged words" before the driver of the Hummer pulled out a gun and shot Smith multiple times, police said.

Smith died on the scene.

Police recovered the gun used in the shooting, Barnes said.

"We are thankful for the outpouring of support and prayers," said a statement released Sunday morning on behalf of Smith's family. "We ask that you continue to respect the family's privacy as they grieve the loss of a devoted husband, father and friend."

Smith had 67.5 sacks, the fourth highest total in Saints history, in 10 years with the organization. He was a starter on the Super Bowl XLIV championship team, helping bring the franchise its only title. He also won a national championship at Ohio State and was the No. 18 overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft.

Smith did not play in another NFL game after tearing a knee ligament in an exhibition in 2013.

In addition to his wife, Smith leaves behind two sons and a daughter.

WWL-TV is a TEGNA property.-------

What a shame. Condolences to Smiths family and friends.

 

[Angry Ram]

"Exchanged words", c'mon just say it. They yelled at each other with f-bombs and other words like that.

Humans.....so much good but so much evil. Now 3 kids are gonna grow up without a dad, and probably without a mom for a while. SMH.

 

[DaveFan'51]

Man.

I've been reading the stories on ESPN, CNN, etc.

The shooter is such a coward. Who does that?

 

[Psycho_X]

Wow, just awful. It seems like the road is becoming the platform for people to show their entitlement and anger issues these days. Coward is a good label by CGI above. Now children will go fatherless, one man is dead, and another will spend the better part of his life in jail because he can't handle owning up to being a bad driver. Unfortunate.

 

[OntarioRam]

Stuff like this makes me so mad. As other have said, now three kids have no father. What a disgusting act and I hope the man who did this goes away for a long time. Not to get political, but I never understood the USA's obsession with guns. I'm all for defending your home, and support the right to have a gun for that purpose, but why it is legal for people to just go carrying them around in public I'll never understand. For every situation in which the gun saves an innocent person in public from harm with a bystander stepping in (or the victim just defending themselves), there are *way* more of somebody getting shot/robbed for no good reason.

 

[Faceplant]

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i don't think we can make any judgments on initial reports. what if the shooter felt threatened by smith? he's a pretty big guy. not that he has a right to shoot him but we have no idea what happened out there. i don't think he jumped out of the car all guns blazing. but then again why would he shoot smith's wife? maybe he is just a crazy dirtbag. as with all these incidents you don't find out what really happened until the facts are stated in court.

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The shooter is a HUGE dude. 6'6" from his mug shot. I don't think he was scared, I think he is a piece of inhuman filth. Shame we will have to foot the bill for the rest of his existence. Dude should be eliminated from the gene pool.

 

[hotanez]

Stuff like this makes me so mad. As other have said, now three kids have no father. What a disgusting act and I hope the man who did this goes away for a long time. Not to get political, but I never understood the USA's obsession with guns. I'm all for defending your home, and support the right to have a gun for that purpose, but why it is legal for people to just go carrying them around in public I'll never understand. For every situation in which the gun saves an innocent person in public from harm with a bystander stepping in (or the victim just defending themselves), there are *way* more of somebody getting shot/robbed for no good reason.

Yes please keep your political or gun ownership views out it's just a sad fact of the world we live in. Please don't group legal law abiding citizens who choose to be gun owners to this piece of garbage. He's a criminal who shouldn't have a gun in the first place. I will pray for Smith's family

 

[Tailback]

The paper reports Hayes pled guilty in 2014 as a first-time offender to illegal carrying of a weapon as well as possession of drug paraphernalia. He was sentenced to six months probation.

This. Illegally carrying a concealed weapon, illegally carrying concealed while in possession of drug paraphernalia. There are thousands of gun laws already on the books that are rarely ever used to prosecute. It is illegal for felons to be in possession of firearms, it is illegal to conceal firearms without a carry permit, it is illegal to brandish a weapon in city limits, it is illegal to discharge a firearm within city limits, it is also illegal to commit murder. Maybe if politicians passed a few more laws, people that have exactly zero interest in following laws will finally get the hint.

Law abiding firearms owners like myself would love to see criminals not have guns. Making stupid laws that prevent law abiding citizens from legally owning and carrying do not accomplish that goal.

 

[-X-]

View: https://twitter.com/garlandgillen/status/719051287736680448

 

[Angry Ram]

The shooter is a HUGE dude. 6'6" from his mug shot. I don't think he was scared, I think he is a piece of inhuman filth. Shame we will have to foot the bill for the rest of his existence. Dude should be eliminated from the gene pool.

I saw his mug too. Just looking at it screams "shady."

Plus he apparently rear-ended Will Smith's car? This is open and shut in my book. He should be booked for life at the very least.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Circumstances of Will Smith murder suggest possible motive other than road rage

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...murder-suggest-scenario-other-than-road-rage/

Regardless of why Cardell Hayes shot and killed former Saints defensive end Will Smith, the fact remains that Hayes apparently did it. The motive may be a little murkier than first believed.

Dubbed an incident of road rage at first, the New Orleans Advocate points out that Hayes sued the City of New Orleans in 2005 after police officers killed his father. Shortly before the automobile accident that resulted in Hayes shooting Smith and his wife, Smith and former Saints teammate Pierre Thomashad eaten dinner with Billy Ceravolo, one of the officers who shot Anthony Hayes and who was personally sued by Cardell Hayes.

Per the Advocate, Ceravolo described Smith and Thomas as personal friends. However, Ceravolo was not at the scene of the shooting. Ceravolo also claimed he wasn’t aware that Cardell Hayes had named Ceravolo in the lawsuit, which was settled in 2011 for what Hayes’ lawyer called a “large” amount of money.

If Cardell Hayes were merely seeking retribution, common sense suggests he would have simply shot Ceravolo. Then again, the mind of a person capable of killing another person isn’t always awash in rational thought. For now, the point is that either the incident of road rage carried with it a strange and bizarre coincidence, or that there really was no coincidence.