Former U. Maine football standout and Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher reportedly shot and killed his girlfriend and then drove to the Chiefs’ training facility and shot himself, according to CBS Sports.
According to the report, the first shooting occurred in a Kansas City neighborhood and the second at Arrowhead Stadium at about 8 a.m. Saturday. The training facility has been put on lock down and is barricaded by local authorities. According to Kansas City sports radio host Danny Parkins, Belcher committed suicide after being confronted by coaches. According to the reports, Belcher thanked both head coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli before taking his own life. Kansas City Police Department are reporting the two coaches didn’t feel threatened.
“This is a real tragedy, a horrible tragedy,” said UMaine head coach Jack Cosgrove during an impromptu press conference Saturday afternoon in the Memorial Gymnasium. “Jovan was one of those young men that we have such great memories of here. We don’t know at all what took place out there and I think the tragedy that has fallen — our prayers go out to Kasandra and her family. We’re going to pray for Jovan, we’re going to pray for Jovan’s family. His impact on this program was boundless.
“It’s a real difficult time for me personally and our football family.”
Cosgrove said the last time he spoke with Belcher was on the phone on the day his child was born, which was in September.
“I called him on the birth of his child,” he said. “The Jovan that I know from his time in Orono was on the other end of that phone.”
KCPD Capt. David Lindaman said Belcher and his girlfriend got into an argument around 7:50 a.m. Lindaman said Belcher shot Kasandra Perkins serveral times before she was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Lindaman said Belcher’s mother was visiting the couple and their young daughter.
During his time at UMaine, Belcher participated in the Males Against Violence initiative and was on the committee that helped develop the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
“I’m hard-pressed to recall a young man who had more of an impact in a positive way in my time here,” Cosgrove said. “He’s one of the great stories in the program’s history. A lot of the things he did [went unnoticed]. He was a member of Big Brothers. He had a young man that he served as a sort of foster-father for during his time here. He graduated in three-and-a-half years, which is a tremendous accomplishment for a student athlete.”
The Chiefs released a statement addressing the events.
“The entire Chiefs family is deeply saddened by today’s events, and our collective hearts are heavy with sympathy, thoughts and prayers for the families and friends affected by this unthinkable tragedy. We sincerely appreciate the expressions of sympathy and support we have received from so many in the Kansas City and NFL communities, and ask for continued prayers for the loved ones of those impacted.”
According to the team’s website, their game against the Carolina Panthers is still scheduled for its normal time on Sunday.
Belcher, who played for the Black Bears from 2005-08 went undrafted in 2009 before signing with the Chiefs. He accumulated 198 tackles and one sack in more than three seasons.