Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher kills himself, girlfriend

Published On December 1, 2012 | By Karoline Zacharer

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher allegedly fatally shot his girlfriend Saturday morning. He then drove to Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chiefs, and shot himself.

Kansas City police believe that Belcher shot his girlfriend several times after getting into an argument with her early Saturday morning, according to the Kansas City Star. The girlfriend, who was only 22, was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Once Belcher left the home, he headed to Arrowhead Stadium where he was met by Chiefs General Manager Scott Pioli and Coach Romeo Crennel. Pioli, Crennel, and other Chiefs staff reportedly tried to dissuade Belcher from harming himself or anyone else. The police were called to the stadium around 8:10 a.m., and when police arrived they heard a gunshot. They found Belcher had shot himself in the head. Pioli and Crennel, former Patriots personnel, reportedly witnessed the suicide.

Belcher’s mother, who had been babysitting the couple’s three-month-old daughter, was apparently a witness to the shooting at the home. She is being questioned by police for more details.

The Chiefs released a statement to the media Saturday morning, saying that there would be more details forthcoming.

“We can confirm that there was an incident at Arrowhead earlier this morning. We are cooperating with authorities in their investigation.”

It’s a sad time for the Chiefs organization, and a tragedy for all of the families involved. The NFL and Chiefs organization has yet to announce whether the team will play Carolina on Sunday at 1 p.m. as planned, but football is one of the least important things the Chiefs organization and families involved are dealing with at the moment.

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About The Author

Karoline Zacharer is a senior at Bridgewater State University majoring in communications. For the past four years, she has covered everything from football to women's lacrosse as a reporter for BSU's Bears Sports Network. She has also written minor league baseball news for SoxProspects.com. You can follow Karoline on Twitter at @KarolineZ.