Kansas City Chiefs Linebacker Jovan Belcher Murder-Suicide

Jovan Belcher, a linebacker with the Kansas City Chiefs, this morning murdered the mother of their 3-month-old baby before killing himself.

Jovan Belcher, a linebacker with the Kansas City Chiefs, this morning murdered the mother of their 3-month-old baby before killing himself.

KCTV 5 News (“Police: Chiefs player kills girlfriend then kills self“)

Police are investigating two deadly shootings Saturday morning that they said are related.

The shootings involve a Chiefs player and his girlfriend.

The first shooting was reported about 8 a.m. at a home near East 54th Terrace and Crysler Avenue. The second shooting was reported a short time later at a Chiefs practice facility located on the Arrowhead facility.

Officials said the Chiefs player shot and killed his girlfriend and then drove to the practice facility where he shot and killed himself.

It’s unknown if people were at Arrowhead or any of its surrounding facilities at the time. The Chiefs confirmed the shooting in a written statement saying, “We can confirm that there was an incident at Arrowhead earlier this morning. We are cooperating with authorities in their investigation.”

NY Daily News (“Kansas City Chiefs player, reported to be linebacker Jovan Belcher, shot and killed his girlfriend before taking his own life“):

A Kansas City Chiefs player yet to be officially identified, allegedly committed suicide after shooting his girlfriend, according to multiple reports.

Multiple news outlets are reporting that linebacker Jovan Belcher, 25, was involved in a shooting at the Chiefs’ practice facility. Belcher, a product of Long Island’s West Babylon HS, has played for the Chiefs for four seasons after a standout career at the University of Maine.

Police are on the scene at the team’s training facility at Arrowhead Stadium.

“We can confirm that there was an incident at Arrowhead earlier this morning,” the Chiefs said in a statement. “We are cooperating with authorities in their investigation.”

Early reports say police are operating with the belief the player fatally shot his girlfriend at a house before driving to Arrowhead Stadium and killing himself.

No other injuries were reported at the facility.
Kansas City (1-10) is scheduled to host the Carolina Panthers Sunday. The NFL is believed to be discussing what to do about Sunday’s game, but the Charlotte Observer is reporting that the NFL has told the Panthers to fly to Kansas City as scheduled.

Business Insider (“Kansas City Chiefs Player Thanked His Coach And GM In The Parking Lot Before Killing Himself“):

Kansas City Chiefs player Jovan Belcher spoke with coach Romeo Crennel and GM Scott Pioli and thanked them before killing himself at the team’s practice facility this morning, police told Jason La Confora of CBS.

According to police, Belcher got to the facility at 8:10 a.m. and encountered a number of team staff members in the parking lot. The KC Star reports that they “apparently attempted to keep him from committing additional acts of violence.”

He shot himself in the head when police arrived.

La Confora reports that Crennel and Pioli did not feel threatened.

Belcher allegedly killed his girlfriend at a nearby home before driving to the facility.

A football game, much less between two teams that won’t make the playoffs, is about the least important thing imaginable under the circumstances. But my strong guess is that the game will be played regardless of the tragedy; the logistics of canceling, much less rescheduling, are just too daunting and tens of thousands of people would be impacted financially.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Tony W says:

    What a coward….sad

  2. @Tony W:

    When someone commits suicide it’s usually a sign that they were severely mentally troubled, most likely suffering from depression. Calling them “cowards” is really quite dumb.

  3. Ben says:

    The fact that he was troubled, depressed and in a bad enough state to kill himself would normally make me pity and attempt to empathize with him. But the fact that he killed the mother of a 3-month-old baby burns away any possible pity. It turns him into human garbage that we are well rid of. Good riddance.

  4. grumpy realist says:

    @Doug Mataconis: No, they’re cowards because rather than having the guts to just do himself in, he decided he had to kill his girlfriend as well.

    It’s the ultimate expression of control and fear of loss of the other individual. Rather than have her walk away, or disagree with him, or do anything that indicates she is a breathing, living human being in her own right, better to kill her.

    As I said, coward. Coward in confronting his own fears, coward about losing control.

  5. PJ says:

    @grumpy realist:

    No, they’re cowards because rather than having the guts to just do himself in, he decided he had to kill his girlfriend as well.

    It’s the ultimate expression of control and fear of loss of the other individual. Rather than have her walk away, or disagree with him, or do anything that indicates she is a breathing, living human being in her own right, better to kill her.

    As I said, coward. Coward in confronting his own fears, coward about losing control.

    Good to know that you know why he did it.
    You probably should contact the police and tell them.

  6. OzarkHillbilly says:

    @Tony W: Ya know what? We don’t have a clue what courage is. My ex is doing 6 yrs right now. My sons are doing it without her.

    Me? I am saying I told you so. Who cares?

    My sons want their mother back. I can not make that right.

    And to clarify, my ex is in prison, my sons have to deal with that fact. NOTHING I do or say can make that right. As a father, I fail.

  7. OzarkHillbilly says:

    @grumpy realist:

    As I said, coward. Coward in confronting his own fears, coward about losing control.

    Obviously enough, you have never faced that which could not be faced.

  8. OzarkHillbilly says:

    @OzarkHillbilly: Let me rephrase: You have not met that which could not be @grumpy realist:

    Take a deep breath, Grumpy. You are just a man. God has an infinite of situations he can throw at you….

    Boy are you fwcked.

  9. 11B40 says:

    Greetings:

    As a taxpayer, and the cost of a murder trial and lifetime incarceration being what they are, I appreciate the “Lord Jim” aspect of the player’s suicide.