NFL player Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend and mother of his 3-month old daughter Kasandra M. Perkins before committing suicide in front of his coach and general manager on Saturday.
Belcher’s team the Kansas City Chiefs are still mourning his death and wondering how the man they all remembered as a quiet, playful guy could possible follow through with the murder-suicide.
Police revealed that Belcher shot his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, multiple times in their home in Kansas City in front of his mother. It is unknown where their daughter was at the time. It was initially believed the woman who would later contact the police after the shooting was Perkins’ mother as she referred to her as her daughter. “She treated Kasandra like a daughter,” Kansas City police spokesman Darin Snapp said, adding that the women had recently moved in with the couple following the birth of her grandchild.
After the rampage the 25-year-old NFL star left the home and immediately headed for the Arrowhead practice facility.
The Kansas City linebacker was met by Chiefs Coach Romeo Crennel and General Manager Scott Pioli in the parking lot of the stadium where reports say he began thanking both men for everything they had done for them.
According to police, neither Crennel nor Pioli felt threatened at all by the player and didn’t expect for things to go as far as they did.
The men told police that they were just talking to Belcher when suddenly he just turned around began walking the other way before he finally shot himself in the head.
The Kansas City Star reported that the couple had been arguing before the murder-suicide took place, but police have not announced a possible motive for the killings yet.
Belcher and his 22-year-old girlfriend had a 3-month old daughter together who will now have to grow up under her grandmother’s care and will eventually ask the heart breaking question of where are her mother and father.
Supposedly the couple had just attended a concert together the night before the shootings and that is when the arguing began that eventually led to the death of two young parents.
The linebacker’s teammates expressed their sorrows and confusion to media outlets.
“That’s what hurts you the most,” said defensive lineman Shaun Smith. “That a guy like that would do that.”
Smith continued on to say that his teammate never showed any signs of angry behavior hadn’t even mentioned in problems in his relationship to him.
Other members of the team took to Twitter instead.
“Devastated,” tweeted tight end Tony Moeaki.
Kendrick Lewis, free safety for the Chiefs, tweeted as well saying, “Forever in our heart!”
“The entire Chiefs family is deeply saddened by today’s events,” said the team’s chairman Clark Hunt. “…our collective hearts are heavy with sympathy, thoughts and prayers for the families and friends affected by this unthinkable tragedy.”
Despite the teams overwhelming grief and sadness during such a trying time, the team has decided to move forward with their game against the Carolina Panthers.
“After discussions between the league office, Head Coach Romeo Crennel and Chiefs team captains, the Chiefs advised the NFL that it will play tomorrow’s game vs. the Carolina Panthers at its originally scheduled time,” the Chiefs released in a statement yesterday.
The New York native played in all 11 games this season, so it’s easy to say that the field just won’t be the same without him there.
Belcher’s mother didn’t want to comment on the tragedy, but she has transformed the front yard of her Long Island home into a public shrine for her son.
