Former Saints DE Will Smith shot and killed in New Orleans

[allblackraven]

It appears his SUV was first rammed into from the back by a Hummer, then after the exchange of words, Hummer driver pulled the gun and fatally shot Smith and wounded his wife (2 shots in the leg).

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl-news/4701469-will-smith-saints-ohio-state-killed-death-shooting-new-orleans

[K-Dog]

Terrible. 

[Moderator 3]

Sad, sad, sad.

[Willbacker]

This is just too sad. Seriously how can anybody get that mad. It was a damn fender bender.

[ludy51]

RIP Will Smith. So the guy who hit his car shot him as well?

[52520Andrew]

What a shame, R.I.P.

[-Truth-]

An utterly shameful and unfathomable act on behalf of the other driver. I realize that I'm speaking on only the initial details, but how on earth do you rear end another vehicle, manage to follow it with a heated verbal exchange, and then shoot both the driver and his wife? RIP Will Smith. I pray for the health of his wife, for his family, and for those close to him.

[ALPHA]

It wasn't a random attack.

Before Smith was gunned down he was having lunch with a cop named Billy Ceravolo, that same cop had shot and killed a man named Anthony Hayes in 2005. Anthony Hayes was the father of the gunman, Cardell Hayes.

[cobrajet]

This stuff makes no sense. Road rage is one thing, you will never be able to stop that, but pulling out a gun and murdering a man over a fender bender is beyond senseless. Then on top of that you shoot his wife twice. What.... for kicks? Of course I do not have all the facts, but IMHO, the man who murdered Smith and shot his wife is too dangerous to ever see freedom again.

Edited April 10, 2016 by cobrajet

[rmcjacket23]

20 hours ago, ALPHA said:

It wasn't a random attack.

Before Smith was gunned down he was having lunch with a cop named Billy Ceravolo, that same cop had shot and killed a man named Anthony Hayes in 2005. Anthony Hayes was the father of the gunman, Cardell Hayes.

A bit of a stretch at best, and thus far, there is no evidence to suggest there is a link between the two that made this anything other than just a coincidence.

I mean if you really stop for a second, think about what you are insinuating here...

Guys father gets killed by police over 10 years ago. Guy sues police force, and settles before the case goes to trial. Five years later, he just all of the sudden decides to go hit a "friend" of the cop with his car and then shoot and kill him and shoot his wife.

Why exactly would you do this? 

Or the better question... why not just do the same thing to the Cop (somebody who was actually involved in your fathers murder) and not to a friend of the Cop, who had literally nothing to do with your father's murder?

Just doesn't quite pass the smell test to me.

[ludy51]

6 minutes ago, rmcjacket23 said:

A bit of a stretch at best, and thus far, there is no evidence to suggest there is a link between the two that made this anything other than just a coincidence.

I mean if you really stop for a second, think about what you are insinuating here...

Guys father gets killed by police over 10 years ago. Guy sues police force, and settles before the case goes to trial. Five years later, he just all of the sudden decides to go hit a "friend" of the cop with his car and then shoot and kill him and shoot his wife.

Why exactly would you do this? 

Or the better question... why not just do the same thing to the Cop (somebody who was actually involved in your fathers murder) and not to a friend of the Cop, who had literally nothing to do with your father's murder?

Just doesn't quite pass the smell test to me.

Maybe something new popped up? Guy decides to hurt a person close to the cop instead of the cop himself to hurt him more?

Edited April 11, 2016 by ludy51

[rmcjacket23]

12 minutes ago, ludy51 said:

Maybe something new popped up? Guy decides to hurt a person close to the cop instead of the cop himself to hurt him more?

And the best he could do is some guy who just so happened to be having lunch with him? And you pick a professional football player who is driving around with a small entourage?

Sounds even less plausible to me now.

[ludy51]

Just now, rmcjacket23 said:

And the best he could do is some guy who just so happened to be having lunch with him? And you pick a professional football player who is driving around with a small entourage?

Sounds even less plausible to me now.

Just throwing stuff at the wall

I don't presume to know the motivations of murderers

Edited April 11, 2016 by ludy51

[Cville-Raven]

I think the cop relation may just be a crazy coincidence at this point.

[ludy51]

13 hours ago, Cville-Raven said:

I think the cop relation may just be a crazy coincidence at this point.

Most likely

[JO_75]

Tyrann Mathieu has become this family's new target. Tyrann has come out and said that the family has threatened to kill him after he called them out. 

Goodness this family is wacko. They should pit any of his family who threatened Tyrann in jail for good. Probably not just saves Tyrann's life but another innocent person just like Smith was.

[BmoreBird22]

14 hours ago, JO_75 said:

Tyrann Mathieu has become this family's new target. Tyrann has come out and said that the family has threatened to kill him after he called them out. 

Goodness this family is wacko. They should pit any of his family who threatened Tyrann in jail for good. Probably not just saves Tyrann's life but another innocent person just like Smith was.

Mathieu also said he won't spend more than 48 hours in NOLA because he fears for his safety.

[ALPHA]

On 4/11/2016 at 2:17 AM, rmcjacket23 said:

A bit of a stretch at best, and thus far, there is no evidence to suggest there is a link between the two that made this anything other than just a coincidence.

I mean if you really stop for a second, think about what you are insinuating here...

Guys father gets killed by police over 10 years ago. Guy sues police force, and settles before the case goes to trial. Five years later, he just all of the sudden decides to go hit a "friend" of the cop with his car and then shoot and kill him and shoot his wife.

Why exactly would you do this? 

Or the better question... why not just do the same thing to the Cop (somebody who was actually involved in your fathers murder) and not to a friend of the Cop, who had literally nothing to do with your father's murder?

Just doesn't quite pass the smell test to me.

Based on the details released so far that's a lot of coincidence, theres footage showing the gunman trying to cut Smith off by stopping in the middle of the street.

[rmcjacket23]

5 hours ago, ALPHA said:

Based on the details released so far that's a lot of coincidence, theres footage showing the gunman trying to cut Smith off by stopping in the middle of the street.

Not really, based on the details released.

We also now have a loaded gun in Will Smith's car, and there at least appears to be a previous accident moments earlier where it looks like Will Smith did a hit and run on the suspect prior to the second accident.

So if I'm looking at possible motive, which of the following two "reasons" (though not justified) seems more likely in this case:

1. Will Smith hits the suspect in an apparent hit and run previously, thus the suspect retaliates.

2. The suspect concocts some sort of master plan where he rear ends an entourage full of people and kills a "friend" of a guy who MAY have been involved in his father's murder... 15 years later.

Which one of those two things do you think seems more "reasonable" in this case? And remember, this is the real world. Its not an episode of CSI.

[CharmCityChampions]

Regardless if smith was involved in a previous hit and run with the suspect, its not grounds for the suspect to murder smith and assault his wife by shooting her twice. Its called keeping your cool and being a responsible adult in the situation, something this guy couldn't obviously practice.

[hawkprey]

It seems more and more that Cardell Hayes will probably not be charged with murder or manslaughter. Will Smith hit his car and it can be argued that it was intentional and an aggressive act. Being shot in the back would presume he was reaching for a gun (although the jury will need conclusive evidence of this). His wife being shot in the leg is a miss at point blank range  - making the shooting seem less like a plan and more like a nervous reaction. In addition, USA Today published a witness' statements backing Hayes in self-defense. Whether we want to believe it or not, the more that unfolds, the more that supports the shooter and incriminates Smith.

[ALPHA]

2 hours ago, rmcjacket23 said:

Not really, based on the details released.

We also now have a loaded gun in Will Smith's car, and there at least appears to be a previous accident moments earlier where it looks like Will Smith did a hit and run on the suspect prior to the second accident.

So if I'm looking at possible motive, which of the following two "reasons" (though not justified) seems more likely in this case:

1. Will Smith hits the suspect in an apparent hit and run previously, thus the suspect retaliates.

2. The suspect concocts some sort of master plan where he rear ends an entourage full of people and kills a "friend" of a guy who MAY have been involved in his father's murder... 15 years later.

Which one of those two things do you think seems more "reasonable" in this case? And remember, this is the real world. Its not an episode of CSI.

The video is public, the gunman hit his brakes in front of Smith, it's just as likely that it was intentional and he was trying to cut Smith off as opposed to stopping in the middle of the street for no obvious reason.

[mc_red23]

I've got to love this what I've just read on Fox News...

A defense attorney for Hayes, John Fuller, has insisted that Hayes will be vindicated once the full story emerges, saying that someone "besides my client" was behaving in a threatening manner, although he hasn't said who: "My client has been pilloried, convicted and tried" in the news and on social media, he added

Vindicated? He killed somebody in retaliation for a supposed hit and run incident. Lock the thug away and throw away the key! 

I don't get this thing about how Hayes supposedly tried to move to the side of the road. Looking at the video he seems he merely pulled out of the way so that he could chase Smith down. That would fit with the actions of the thug more than moving over in order to check the damage.

[mc_red23]

57 minutes ago, hawkprey said:

It seems more and more that Cardell Hayes will probably not be charged with murder or manslaughter. Will Smith hit his car and it can be argued that it was intentional and an aggressive act. Being shot in the back would presume he was reaching for a gun (although the jury will need conclusive evidence of this). His wife being shot in the leg is a miss at point blank range  - making the shooting seem less like a plan and more like a nervous reaction. In addition, USA Today published a witness' statements backing Hayes in self-defense. Whether we want to believe it or not, the more that unfolds, the more that supports the shooter and incriminates Smith.

That's basically saying it's OK to carry a gun in public and shoot somebody. How would this so called witness see anything inside a car in the dark?