Friends, fans and colleagues are sending condolences to the family of former Seattle Seahawks player T.J. Cunningham, who was shot in Centennial, Colorado, on the morning of Sunday, Feb. 17. He died from his wounds the following day at the age of 46.
According to Bleacher Report, Cunningham’s neighbor, 31-year-old Marcus Johnson, shot him several times after the two argued via text messages over a parking space. Johnson has already been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder.
T.J. Cunningham was 46. (YouTube)
It’s also been reported that after the text exchanges the men agreed to meet at nearby Eaglecrest High School to fight, but Johnson was the only one who brought a gun, and he shot the former NFL safety several times.
Cunningham was a top wide receiver and defensive back for the University of Colorado, and after being drafted to the NFL in 1996 he played nine games for the Seahawks before suffering a career-ending knee injury.
He then became the assistant principal at Hinkley High School, which is a little over 10 miles from where he was killed.
“So the argument continued over text and it was said, ‘Let’s just settle this at the school,’ and one of them brought a gun,” said Deborah Sherman, a spokeswoman for the Arapahoe County Sheriff.
Sherman also said police received a 911 call from someone who saw Cunningham wounded in the street, then Johnson called the authorities himself.
Arapahoe County
“Minutes after the first call, we received a second call from the suspect, ‘I just shot my neighbor. He assaulted me earlier in the day,’ and then he indicated he was going home,” Sherman detailed. “So we responded to the scene and to his home and he gave himself up.”
Cunningham is survived by his wife and five children, and a GoFundMe page has been set up to assist them.
The University of Colorado’s Athletics Director Rick George also acknowledged Cunningham’s death.
“We were deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the death of T.J. Cunningham,” he tweeted on Monday. “He was a good family man and had a strong passion for working with young people.”