Breaking: Chiefs player shoots girlfriend, commits suicide at team facility

Reports are all over the place.

Some are claiming the act was committed by linebacker Jovan Belcher.

 

Wow...wtf.

Sad, even wealthy athletes are subject to being fked in the head I suppose.

 

For what it's worth, there's a guy on Twitter who claims to have a source at KC PD saying he shot the girlfriend at home, then argued and ultimately shot himself in front of Pioli, coaches. Been spouting it all morning.

Seems unbelievable but then again the whole situation is unbelievable.

https://twitter.com/FluffySportsKC

 

Glad he didn't miss and hit Jamaal Charles....I need him for the playoffs next week.

 

What a horrible story. Wow...

 

Indeed. I dug and can basically confirm it (the baby), along with the girlfriend's name.

Sad.

 

Wow, No words.

 

Wow, man. Wow.

 

I'd say especially athletes are subjective to being f'd in the head. Concussions, stress, etc.

Sad story.

 

It's unconfirmed that he was confronted in the parking lot and shot himself in front of Crennel and Pioli. It keeps getting uglier.

 

Next door neighbor.

https://twitter.com/MissChelleC

 

[Major tragedy going on next door.] "Quick, to TWITTER!!!!"

 

Yah. In the big picture the game means absolutely nothing. Forcing the Chiefs and the fans to try and get themselves in the state of mind to play a game would seem kind of cruel at this point. Let them mourn. Cancel the gam, don't even reschedule it.

 

That's awful. Whatever happened to make this situation go where it did is a true shame. As much though is that the girlfriend and now the orphaned baby are going to be overshadowed by the human interest piece of this dude who is essentially a murderer who killed himself.

If this guy was a fedex employee it would be a "murder / suicide" blip on the radar... because of who he is it the dude will end up with his number on the chiefs helmets and a black armband in memory of his loss.

I'm not saying that he doesn't deserve remembrance and sympathy for whatever drove him to that point, what I'm saying is the fact he's a murderer is already being buried by virtue of the RIP and prayers messages about HIM far exceed the mention of the innocent people he harmed.

 

Indeed. I'm interested in seeing exactly how the NFL handles this.

EDIT

 

Apparently the Panthers are travelling as planned. If Goodell forces these two teams, in the midst of tragedy and totally lost seasons, to play tomorrow he is a bigger jackass than I thought.

 

It is an odd situation. The man was obviously mentally ill and that illness (believe me, I know more about mental illness than I care too) will/can lead seemingly good people to do out of the ordinary things. Not justifying it, just stating fact as I recognize them.

Weeping for this man might not seem appropriate now with the wreckage he has left behind. That said, when details surface it may seem appropriate at that time. No one knows what was going on. Had he looked for help and been turned away? Healthcare systems Worldwide take a "there there" approach to mental illness. A pat on the head and "things will get better" are a well known cure. As is "suck it up". This man could have been really suffering undiagnosed for a long time. This does not justify the act but could explain it.

 

They still have plenty of time to cancel or postpone.

I think they're doing the right thing by not doing anything right now. Take your time rather than make a decision in haste.

 

yeah, no idea how those coaches and players handle the game tomorrow... so young too...

supposdlly shot himself in front of the coaches.

 

Man...

 

I don't see how you cancel the game without rescheduling, let alone canceling it at all honestly. I mean I can understand why some people would want it cancelled, just logistically it seems wrong/unlikely.

 

Scarier thought is what was he doing going to the facility and with a loaded weapon. Geez

 

Details from Albert Breer:

 

Really sad considering the families of both involved. Mental illness could very well lead to something like this but until we know the full story we will not know, to me it seems that he killed his gf in a fit of rage, and after realizing what he had done took his own life. Tragic

 

It's all true. Dang...

 

Wait for it.........Yep Goodell is Bettman-esque.

 

I think we know how that conversation went. "Coach, I won't be at the game tomorrow." "Why not?" POP.


I'd like to know what possessed him to drive to the facility to do what he likely intended from the start.

 

Not that it matters, but I imagine we'll start learning about his background.

Belcher was a college free agent ended up starting his rookie season and had held the LILB job ever since.

 

Maybe....but don't know what kind of help he would be looking for...sad...selfish...heat of the moment act that will devastate so many

 

Obviously he was not in his right mind of late. Despondent, I imagine he went there to say goodbye.

 

The solution, if you want to keep the game on the schedule, is to bump it to Monday night and play it in a venue other than Arrowhead Stadium.

 

I agree that there is more to it and I very much agree that good people can do bad things when they are not in their correct frame of mind.

The questions really comes down to did he have some sort of mental illness (diagnosed or not) or was this just youthful immaturity and the inability to deal with a stressful situation some other way than violence?

 

It almost sounds like the murder was one of those heat of the moment type unintended deals [rather than a pre-planned murder-suicide], and then he gathered himself and decided his punishment for taking a life was death.