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Frank Eltman / AP
Yamiesse Lawrence, left, and Quaresha Boston, standing next to Lawrence, a cousin and niece, respectively, of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, read a statement to the media in West Babylon, N.Y., on Monday.
After receiving a call about a disturbance involving an armed person, police officers arrived at the parking lot of the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice facility, where they spotted several people. Then one of the people — who turned out to be linebacker Jovan Belcher — spotted police, and moved behind a vehicle.
"From that position Belcher shot himself one time in the head," according to one of two incident reports released by the Kansas City (Mo.) Police Department on Monday. Belcher, 25, was taken to a hospital, where he died.
The reports begin to piece together the events around the apparent murder-suicide by the Chiefs linebacker on Saturday.
According to the Associated Press, police hope to deliver an investigative report to prosecutors Tuesday laying out what prompted Belcher to kill his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, who was mother of his 3-month-old daughter, and himself.
"They're moving it along just like any other case," Kansas City police Sgt. Marisa Barnes told the AP. "There's a formal process it has to go through."
Jamie Squire / Getty Images file
Inside linebacker Jovan Belcher of the Kansas City Chiefs watches from the sidelines during his final game, against the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 25.
The other report released Monday recounts police responding to a call reporting a shooting that came in just nine minutes earlier, pointing them to the home Belcher shared with Perkins, 22. Upon arrival, they found Perkins on the floor of the master bedroom, unresponsive and suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.
After shooting Perkins, Belcher drove his black Bentley to the practice facility, about 7 miles away, where he spoke briefly to Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, head coach Romeo Crennel and an assistant coach, before shooting himself.
Kansas City police spokesman Darrin Snapp confirmed that the gun was one that Belcher had purchased legally.
Snapp also said Monday that Belcher's mother, who had been staying with the couple, was given temporary custody of the couple's daughter, Zoey, the AP reported.
Perkins’ family released a statement Monday. They thanked the public for an outpouring of concern and support.
"Our hearts are truly broken for Kasi was a beloved daughter, granddaughter, sister, mother, cousin and friend," the statement said. "At this time we request the media respect our privacy during this difficult time as we grieve for our loved one. Please keep us in your hearts and prayers as well as the Belcher family for two lives were lost."
Perkins was a cousin of Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles' wife, Whitney, and it was through Whitney that she met Belcher, a friend told the AP on Sunday.
Jamaal and Whitney Charles also released a statement.
"Our family has suffered a personal tragic loss...." they said. "Kasandra was not only family, but a friend and a loving mother. As my actual family and my Kansas City Chiefs family have been altered forever, we ask that you keep us and most importantly their child in prayer."
NBC News' Kari Huus contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
It is time to have professional standards for professional athletes: a college degree, no rap sheet, no alcohol problem, and no tattoos.
Then what are we going to do on Sunday afternoons?
What does tattoos have to do with anything?
As far as I am concerned, he was a selfish Azzz. Kill your girlfriend in front of the mother and baby and then go and put the Chief's personnel witness to your "bad day?" Now, all these shrines are bing erected to him in his memory....with pics, trophys, etc. Sickening... Whatever argument he had with her, no excuse to kill the mother of your child and subject your team to this pain. Shame on you. God is not amused...
I pity the child who will grow up and will learn that daddy killed mommy...
There is something behind the rage that leads someone to kill. Guns or no guns perhaps he probably would have still killed her.
That said: I am sick and tired of all the violence in this country.
Sigh.
Exacta, Trifecta, Quinella, Perfecta, LaQuanza, Yamiesse, Quaresha, Lakeesha, Aleesha,
Shaquilla O’nneilla, whatever…
Don't you have a set of robes and hoods to dry clean? A wooden cross to burn?
I know this will make people uncomfortable or enraged but there is an angle to this story that never gets discussed. From everything I have heard about Belcher, he was a good guy. From high school to college to the Chiefs, everyone seems to feel that he was a great person and that this was completely out of character. No anger issues, no police run-ins, no drugs. He even went to the Chiefs facility to thank his coach and GM for all they had done for him. So my question is, what did his girlfriend do to enrage this seemingly great guy so much that he killed her. I know everyone wants to view him as a crazy wack job, and maybe he was. But maybe his girl friend was so over the top awful to him that he went nuts. Nothing can justify him taking her life but I have been around women who are such unbelievably abusive bitches that they should be beaten, which is completely unacceptable and socially offensive. When I hear about men doing what Belcher did I often will wonder just how awful that woman may have been to drive the guy to kill her. In some cases I know it must be true. Sorry to bring up an ugly possiblity. Women be nice please.
Didn't work for your mother, did it Westin? She still managed to poop you out.
sea2see I am not condoning domestic abuse at all. I am just trying to understand how this seemingly good person goes nuts. The absolutely disgusting behavior that some women feel they can use on their mates is appalling. This is all speculation because we do not know. But it makes me wonder if she drove this guy over the edge with verbal abuse. It does not make what he did ok but to paint her as an angel may not be accurate either. It is just a side to these stories that never gets discussed. When you look at his background this just seems completely out of character.
You don't drive somene over the edge. They drive themselves. All of us are responsible for how we react to others. Thats why everyone who has relationship issues do not resort to such an act . Most people just move on . Unfortunately many of our males are taught , usually by their male peers , that the way to resolve their issues is through violence. I guess it worked for him. Our society in general has a share of the responsibility, we seem to worship violence. So we get plenty of it and then wonder why someone would use it.
Ms. Perkins, Meet Mr. Belcher, also known as Joe... Joe Black.
Penn State. Concussions. Endless scandals.
We need to end football.
I have no sympathy for him after he orphaned his child, he is a selfish coward!
The racism I'm seeing here is shocking. Just sayin'... Yes, guns do kill people- look at the statistics from a country where guns are illegal for everyone except the army and law enforcement-like, say, England.
Yes, look at the statistics. England has had an enormous increase in gun violence since the anti gun laws were put in place. Matter of fact crime rose tremendously after the gun control laws were put in place. And no matter which you look at (USA or UK), the gun crimes are committed by criminals with illegal weapons. England found out that when you put gun control laws in place you merely take the guns out of law abiding citizens and set them up for crime.
As far as this football player, do you really think the gun was the problem?
Look at how the drug cartels have taken over the northern part of Mexico--no Second Amendment rights there, so the good Mexican nationals in that area are at the mercy of those murderous drug cartels that FORCE innocent Mexican nationals to run their drugs over the border -- they take whole families hostage and threaten to kill their spouses and children if they don't comply. The Mexican police, those that are not corrupt, are spread too thin to help, not to mention that there are whole big areas the police can't get into.
Wow Pam, are you reading ALL the posts, or just picking through them? I actually read the 40 or so posts and I'd say less then 10% were posting some racists remarks...the rest of the posts were on domestic violence, the baby, the families, the NFL, the gun laws, possible PTSD and brain trauma... The next time you decide to post and add to the never ending race card, be a dear and read before you open your racist mouth.
God Bless both families in their time of loss.
Hey Mr. Costas, if this reasoning works for you can you please talk to my son's high school English teacher. She didn't believe him when he blamed all the misspellings in his paper on his pen. The pen is responsible no my son!!
This man was a murderer, and the news is making excuses for him? His so called head injures did not make him kill. He was a controlling person and when he could not control his girlfriend, he Chose to kill her, and then like the coward he really was, he killed himself because he could not face going to jail.
Just because he played football does NOT make him any less a cold blooded killer. The only people who deserve pity are the girls parents who lost a child to a cold blooded killer.
Hey, come on. If you play good enough in a pro sport you are a hero. Face it, the gun he used was just as bad as Tiger's d1ck. They are good at sports so you cannot blame them for what they do in their personal life. You MUST blame the gun or the d1ck. Play on!
Not yet any suggestion as to why this man shot his girlfriend and then himself.
From what little has been reported of his past life, there is little to suggest he was a violent man.
We are trying to find some logic in what is by it's nature an illogical act. Much of the reasoning why this happened probably died with Mr. Belcher. It appears he acted from pure emotion which is why the weapon really didn't matter because he would have found one and carry out the act no matter what the weapon.
The paternity test results came in.... Jovan was not the babies father. A KC Chief team mate was. That's why he was at the facility with a loaded handgun. The coaches that met and delayed him in the parking lot saved somebody's butt.
If someone has made up their mind to kill someone, they will, be it with a gun, a knife, or their bare hands.
F--k Costas, and may he be sodomized to death by a rabid moose. The same goes for anyone who agrees with him.
Actually, if you come at me with a knife, or your bare hands, I won't be the one dying.
Because you'll have a gun?
Actually, if I were to come at you with a knife, or my bare hands, you'd never see me coming. And if you think you're going to shoot me, you best be 100% sure your one and only shot is a kill shot, or I'll take that gun off of you and sodomize you with it. I've been shot before, in service to this country. I'm not afraid to be shot again.
Did I miss something? The headline said "details are emerging" and then gave no additional details that were not on Wikipedia 15 minutes after the guy shot himself.
I get what Costas is saying, the deplorable rate of gun violence in this society is alarming and is, among developed nations, uniquely American. But, to the point of 95% of the posts on here, the gun did not fire itself, it is just a tool used to kill. The tool could have been a knife, an axe, a rock, a car or a shove off of a subway platform. The issue is what would drive a person to such a point that killing another person makes complete sense.
It's sad and I feel for both families. I heard the NFL is raising funds to take care of the girl. Didn't Belcher have a lucrative NFL contract? Did he spend all of his money? He was likely making $100,000+ per game. I think she will be all right.
Yes, you missed something. The headline says NEW details. That means they are details they didn't report before. Stick Wikipedia as your source. No bias there....
Of course you get what Costas is saying. Just like the people of England did. And now the gun violence against innocent citizens it out of control. Why? Because the criminals (who by the way didn't buy the gun) know the innocent citizens are unarmed. Remember, knowing you have the weapon and needing to use it are two totally different things.
Now to the money (proof you're a liberal). The "money" will be tied up by lawyers and lawyers thanks to the liberal court system. It used to be families and friends took care of families and friends. Now, it's government taking care us. Did he spend all the money? Was he maybe one of those 1% you guys keep talking about? You know, the ones that need more money taken away from them because there are people that don't, I mean can't work?
This was not the first time this gentleman lost it over a woman. Twice while he was a student in college at the University of Maine he was involved in altercations with woman. He had a history which was not followed close enough. This is a failure at the family level. I know how my folks would have reacted on any first issue much less multiple. It is not the system it's the culture.
Armchairquarterback. That should be your name.
There's 50 ways to leave your lover.... Jovan, he gots 51.
Did you axe him that?
Yup...ah axed'm dat.
I must say if I was a member of Kasandra Perkins family the last person to get custody of baby Zoey would be Belcher's Mom.
He was a murderer and a coward. End of story
'At last! Our 15 minutes of media fame!'
This murdering thug did not respect his girlfriend enough to marry her and he did not respect his child enough to keep her from being born a bastard. He was a spoiled brat who threw tantrums when he didn't get his way and he was afraid to face the consequences of his actions so he took the cowards way out. If he could not deal with real life the damn fool should have just killed himself and let his daughter at least have her mother to raise her. No one should be honoring him for anything because what he has done now erases any possible good he did in life. May his daughter be raised by a loving and caring extended family and, when she learns of this tragic event may she be given all the help she needs to have a happy, healthy and successful life. Thought are with the survivors.