Former NFL QB Steve McNair Shot To Death

The Houston Chronicle notes:

WTVF in Nashville is reporting on their Web site that former Tennesee Titans quarterback Steve McNair has been killed.

Police said McNair suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head in downtown Nashville.

WTVF reported the incident happened at 2nd South & Lea Ave. in Nashville.

Police said it looked like a double homicide. A female victim was also found dead.

Fox Sports adds:

Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was found shot to death Saturday, multiple media outlets reported.

A woman was also found shot to death with McNair in a Nashville condominium.

A public information officer with the Nashville police, Don Aaron, confirmed the death.

McNair played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans franchise and then spent two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.

He was a three-time Pro Bowler and was the Co-AP NFL MVP in 2003.

From Nashville’s WKRN:

The former Titans star was found shot to death at an apartment complex on Second Avenue South at Lea Avenue, in downtown Nashville.

A second person was also found dead.

That person’s identity was not immediately known.

Investigators are on the scene Saturday afternoon.

No further details were released.

McNair played 13 seasons in the NFL before retiring in April 2008.

He played college football at Alcorn State and was drafted by the Houston Oilers, third overall, in the 1995 NFL Draft.

McNair played 11 seasons with the Titans franchise, leading the team to the Super Bowl in 1999.

He played his final two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.

McNair was selected to the Pro Bowl three times and was the co-MVP of the league in 2003, sharing the award with Peyton Manning.

He was 36 years old.

Toni Monkovic of the New York Times adds:

A television station in Nashville is reporting that the former N.F.L quarterback Steve McNair has been killed in downtown Nashville in what the police said looked like a double homicide. A woman was the other person killed, the police said.

The station, WTVF, said McNair sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head:

According to Don Aaron with the Metro Nashville Police Department, no suspects have been taken into custody. Several people were being taken to police headquarters for questioning.

McNair was one of his era’s best quarterbacks and one of its toughest players, playing through countless injuries. He led the Titans to the Super Bowl in 2000 and announced his retirement in 2008 after a 13-year career. He was 36.

We’ll have more details as they come in.

This is hard news to digest, but feel free share your thoughts on the player and the man.

USA Today notes that “Nashville police are confirming reports that former Titans and Ravens QB Steve McNair has been killed”:

McNair, 36, and a female were found shot to death, spokesman Don Aaron told reporters this afternoon.

No one is yet in custody and Aaron said he could not give details on what time the victims died.

Titans owner Bud Adams released the following statement:

“We are saddened and shocked to hear the news of Steve McNair’s passing today. He was one of the finest players to play for our organization and one of the most beloved players by our fans. He played with unquestioned heart and leadership and led us to places that we had never reached, including our only Super Bowl. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family as they deal with his untimely passing.”

Donald Sensing has video of Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron’s statement on his blog. Click here to watch.

Don Surber has a round-up of links and notes that “McNair had only recently opened the Gridiron9 restaurant on Jefferson Street in Nashville, the Tennessean reported.”

Update (10:50 PM PDT): More details on this story have emerged, as AP notes:

Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron identified the woman as 20-year-old Sahel Kazemi, whom he called a “friend” of McNair’s. She had a single gunshot wound to the head.

Police said the 36-year-old McNair was found on the sofa in the living room, and Kazemi was very close to him on the floor. Aaron said the gun was not “readily apparent” when police first arrived.

Autopsies were planned for Sunday.

Aaron said McNair’s wife, Mechelle, is “very distraught.”

“At this juncture, we do not believe she is involved,” he said. “Nothing has been ruled out, but as far as actively looking for a suspect tonight, the answer would be no.”

Fred McNair, Steve McNair’s oldest brother, said some family members likely will travel to Nashville on Monday to consult with Steve McNair’s wife.

“It’s still kind of hard to believe,” Fred McNair said. “He was the greatest person in the world. He gave back to the community. He loved kids and he wanted to be a role model to kids.”

He said he did not know who Kazemi was.

The bodies were discovered Saturday afternoon by McNair’s longtime friend, Wayne Neeley, who said he rents the condo with McNair.

Aaron said Neeley told authorities he went into the condo, saw McNair on the sofa and Kazemi on the floor but walked first into the kitchen before going back into the living room, where he saw the blood.

Neeley then called a friend, who alerted authorities.

Police said a witness saw McNair arrive at the condo in the upscale Rutledge Hill neighborhood between 1:30 and 2 a.m. Saturday and that Kazemi’s vehicle was already there. The condominium is located within walking distance of an area filled with restaurants and nightspots, a few blocks from the Cumberland River and within view of the Titans’ stadium.

Two days ago, Nashville police arrested Kazemi on a DUI charge while driving a 2007 Escalade registered to her and McNair. McNair was in the front seat, but didn’t break the law and was allowed to leave by taxi.

The arrest affidavit said Kazemi had bloodshot eyes and the smell of alcohol on her breath, but refused a breathalyzer test, saying “she was not drunk, she was high.”

In June, McNair opened a restaurant near the Tennessee State University campus. It was closed Saturday evening, but had become a small memorial, where flowers, candles and notes had been placed outside the door.

On the restaurant’s windows were messages: “We will miss you Steve” and “We love you Steve.”

A note attached to a small blue teddy bear read, “We will never forget you, Steve. Once a Titan, always a Titan.”

“We don’t know the details, but it is a terrible tragedy and our hearts go out to the families involved,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.

And Breitbart.TV has this video from WSMV in Nashville:

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