Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher and a woman believed to be his girlfriend are dead, after Belcher apparently shot and killed her, then drove to Arrowhead Stadium and shot and killed himself.
A statement released by the Chiefs said only, “We can confirm that there was an incident at Arrowhead earlier this morning. We are cooperating with authorities in their investigation.” But PFT has confirmed with multiple sources that it was, in fact, Belcher who was involved in the incident.
The Kansas City Star reports that the shooting involved a player who shot his girlfriend at around 8 a.m. on Saturday at a home in Kansas City and then left the scene and committed suicide at the team’s facility at Arrowhead a short time later.
Players on the Chiefs are gathering at Arrowhead Stadium today and being told of the situation. The Chiefs are scheduled to host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium. The Panthers’ team flight has not yet left for Kansas City, and the NFL has not yet said whether the game will go on as scheduled.
The 25-year-old Belcher entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Maine and quickly made an impact, becoming a starter during his rookie season. Belcher’s off-field life had remained relatively quiet, and the news of this morning is stunning to the NFL world.