NFL Star Dies Of Gunshot Wound

Redskins' Safety Sean Taylor, 24, Shot In Leg At Florida Home; Cops Probe Possible Robbery

(CBS/AP)  Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor has died, a day after he was shot in the leg at his home, family friend Richard Sharpstein said. Taylor was 24.

He said Taylor's father called him around 5:30 a.m. to tell him the news.

"His father called and said he was with Christ and he cried and thanked me," said Sharpstein, Taylor's former lawyer. "He was a wonderful, humble, talented young man, and had a huge life in front of him. Obviously God had other plans."

He said he did not know exactly when Taylor died.

"This is a senseless, ridiculous, unnecessary tragedy," Sharpstein told CBS News Tuesday morning.

Doctors had been encouraged late Monday night when Taylor squeezed a nurse's hand. But Sharpstein said he was told Taylor never regained consciousness after being transported to the hospital and that he wasn't sure how he had squeezed the nurse's hand.

"Maybe he was trying to say goodbye or something," Sharpstein said.

The Redskins safety was shot early Monday.

"He lost a lot of blood from the gunshot wound, which hit him in the upper thigh and apparently perforated his femoral artery, bled out a lot," Sharpstein told CBS News Monday night.

Miami-Dade Police were investigating the attack, which came just eight days after an intruder was reported at Taylor's home. Officers were dispatched about 1:45 a.m. Monday after Taylor's girlfriend called police. Taylor was airlifted to the hospital.

Sharpstein said Taylor's girlfriend told him the couple was awakened by loud noises, and Taylor grabbed a machete he keeps in the bedroom for protection. Someone then broke through the bedroom door and fired two shots, one missing and one hitting Taylor, Sharpstein said. Taylor's 18-month-old daughter, Jackie, was also in the house at the time, but neither she nor Taylor's girlfriend were injured.

"It could have been a possible burglary; it could have been a possible robbery," Miami-Dade Police Lt. Nancy Perez said. "It has not been confirmed as yet."

Taylor was shot at the pale yellow house he bought two years ago in the Miami suburb of Palmetto Bay. It came about a week after someone pried open a front window, rifled through drawers and left a kitchen knife on a bed at Taylor's home, according to police.

"They're really sifting through that incident and today's incident," Miami-Dade Police Detective Mario Rachid said, "to see if there's any correlation."

Throughout the day Monday, Taylor's friends and relatives came to the hospital, including teammate Clinton Portis and Redskins owner Dan Schneider, reports Evan Bacon of CBS station WFOR-TV.

Taylor starred as a running back and defensive back at Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami. His father, Pedro Taylor, is the police chief of Florida City, Fla.

Teammates and coaches often have portrayed Taylor as misunderstood, and that much was true. A private man with a small inner circle, Taylor became distrustful of reporters and anyone else he didn't know well. He rarely granted interviews, sometimes declining with a smile and a handshake and sometimes with a snarl that said: "Get out of my way."

But, behind the scenes, Taylor was described as personable and smart - an emerging locker room leader.

Especially since the birth of his daughter Jackie.

"From the first day I met him, from then to now, it's just like night and day," Redskins receiver James Thrash said. "He's really got his head on his shoulders and has been doing really well as far as just being a man. It's been awesome to see that growth."

An All-American at the University of Miami, Taylor was drafted by the Redskins with the fifth overall selection in 2004. Coach Joe Gibbs called it "one of the most researched things" he's ever done, but the problems soon began. Taylor fired his agent, then skipped part of the NFL's mandatory rookie symposium, drawing a $25,000 fine. Driving home late from a party during the season, he was pulled over and charged with drunken driving. The case was dismissed in court, but by then it had become a months-long distraction for the team.

Taylor was also fined at least seven times for late hits, uniform violations and other infractions over his first three seasons, including a $17,000 penalty for spitting in the face of Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman during a playoff game in January 2006.

Meanwhile, Taylor endured a yearlong legal battle after he was accused in 2005 of brandishing a gun at a man during a fight over allegedly stolen all-terrain vehicles near Taylor's home. He eventually pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors and was sentenced to 18 months' probation.

Taylor said the end of the assault case was like "a gray cloud" being lifted. It was also around the time that Jackie was born, and teammates noticed a change.

"It's hard to expect a man to grow up overnight," said close friend Portis, who also played with Taylor at the University of Miami. "But ever since he had his child, it was like a new Sean, and everybody around here knew it. He was always smiling, always happy, always talking about his child."

On the field, Taylor's play was often erratic. Assistant coach Gregg Williams frequently called Taylor the best athlete he's ever coached, but nearly every big play was mitigated by a blown assignment. Taylor led the NFL in missed tackles in 2006 yet made the Pro Bowl because of his reputation as one of the hardest hitters in the league.

This year, however, Taylor was allowed to play a true free safety position, using his speed and power to chase down passes and crush would-be receivers. His five interceptions tie for the league lead in the NFC, even though he missed the last two games because of a sprained knee. Teammates said he had overhauled his diet this year to include more fruit, fish and vegetables and less red meat.

"I just take this job very seriously," Taylor said in a rare group interview during training camp. "It's almost like, you play a kid's game for a king's ransom. And if you don't take it serious enough, eventually one day you're going to say, 'Oh, I could have done this, I could have done that.'

"So I just say, 'I'm healthy right now, I'm going into my fourth year, and why not do the best that I can?' And that's whatever it is, whether it's eating right or training myself right, whether it's studying harder, whatever I can do to better myself."

His hard work was well-noted.

"He loved football. He felt like that's what he was made to do," Gibbs said. "And I think what I've noticed over the last year and a half ... is he matured. I think his baby had a huge impact on him. There was a real growing up in his life."

[olebd]

Seems like a youngster with too much, too soon. Probably was a family squabble this time. He seems like he has issues.

[berniepeders]

You certainly see a lot of African sports stars having difficulties with the police, don''t you? I think it''s because a lot of them were raised very poor, and once they get all these millions, they don''t know how to handle it. Even their managers/agents aren''t taking care of them. They seem to think, maybe rightly so, that their money can buy them out of trouble.

[gunownerdan]

This sounds like more than just a random shooting......

[hawksprings]

Hmmm, groin shot? He may have gone off halfcocked.
Regards,
Posted by Nancy_Naive

Nancy, Nancy, Nancy... you''re not very naive, are you. :)

You can take the football player out of the hood but you can''t take the hood out of the football player, ex. Michael Vick, etc.

[truthspeake2]

Well at least he didn''t kill his wife, bury her in the backyard, and then blame it on a white guy!

[vafiveoh]

He was not raised in the hood. His father was a Police Chief. He went to all the best schools. He CHOSE the "thug" life style and is living with the consequences.

[excoachken]

I wouldn''t wish this on the worst. My nephew received a similiar wound in a hunting accident three years ago and after a long hospital stay, numerous operations and awful, near constant pain, he has acheived about 85% use. It will be a life changing event, much like many veterans face every day, without the first rate care that $$$$$ can buy.

[stephengosson]

The number of pro athletes having encounters with the law is amazing. I think the sports departments of newspapers should have a whole section devoted to "jurisprudence".

[stephengosson]

The number of pro athletes having encounters with the law is amazing. I think the sports departments of newspapers should have a whole section devoted to "jurisprudence".

[stephengosson]

The number of pro athletes having encounters with the law is amazing. I think the sports departments of newspapers should have a whole section devoted to "jurisprudence".

[ssm9451]

Do ya suppose drugs were involved?

[shirk3-2009]

Obviously there is a race issue at hand. The truth is that he didn''t make the gun, Smith and Wesson did. Ok? It''s not his fault, whatever did happen, I''m sure the police had a hand in this, whatever happened. 400 years of slavery and this poor kid, from the wrong side of the tracks makes his way out da getto, and all a white cop can do is put a cap in his nutz? Damm, that''s just some cold, low down racism! Call the Revern'' Al! There''s gonna be a march on Miami!

[gunnerv1]

Well I see that his D*I*C*K works, Did he marry the mother or will we have another little B*a*s*t*a*r*d running around?

[connapa]

Given the location of the injury, I''d say it was the mothr of his child who did it after finding out about his pre-game and post-game activities while on the road. That''s one way to put him out of action.

[mediamomma]

az - I''m with you. Race has nothing to with getting shot. People can be so ignorant and the ones using the race card are probably racists themselves. People are people. No matter the color, the nationality, the sexual orientation. Whatever. Who cares. The guy is shot and it''s nothing to do with the color of his skin. Get over it people. The nation is a melting pot. Don''t like it? Move. All of that aside, I''m a Pats fan myself, but I feel bad for the Redskins. The guy may never be back on the field. 24 is awful young to have your career ended.

[jetlizhan]

i hope the guy pulls through - so sad and senseless.

[jetlizhan]

shurch4truth:

so what happened to mickey mantel?

[myidoncbs]

"This sounds like more than just a random shooting." -- gun owner dan

Yes what this sounds like is "He had a gun. Someone entered his house who also had a gun. His gun didn''t save him."

That''s how it USUALLY goes, except when the story is: "He had a gun. His son or daughter snuck into the house late at night after a date. He shot his daughter or son." Or, other times it goes like this: "He had a gun. He got drunk and depressed. He shot himself." Then there''s the times is goes like this: "He had a gun. He got in an argument with his wife/gf. He shot and killed her. (Or she shot and killed him.)"

All of these scenarios are MUCH MORE LIKELY than what dan thinks will happen with his gun.

[gunownerdan]

Too bad Sean Taylor didn''t shoot the intruder first.
Self Defense
A-HUMAN-RIGHT.com

[gunownerdan]

MyIDonCBS,
If you had a gun, would you go out and shoot your neighbors, your friends, your family members, and yourself with it?
I certainly hope not and if so, please seek mental help!

[denn034]

Yeah, I''d say it''s a safe bet he''s critical after the shooting.

[questionnews]

Wow!! three pages of comments without a "prophet-Ron Paul" posting. How refreshing!!

Now onto the subject at hand:
I can''t wait for more information to be revealed. I have a hard time believing that it was a relative or a friend that did the shooting. This guy was a cash cow to the family and who doesn''t want a friend that will pay for all the fun at the bars & strip clubs. Maybe it was someone that was going to be cut off from the cash faucet and didn''t like it.

[gunownerdan]

Home security is very important these days when dangerous criminals are being set free all the time. It is very important for homeowners to be prepared to protect themselves and their loved ones from a criminal attack.
a-human-right.com

[deemsnyd]

"spitting in the face of Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman during a playoff game in January"

Hope he recovers, but not much of a class act, huh?

[thisandthat1]

A possible armed robbery? Ok ... where was O.J.?

[iceman_1960]

"Redskins" Taylor Critical After Shooting"

If somebody shot me in the groin, I"d be critical too.

In fact I"d be downright rude and abrasive.

[iceman_1960]

"Look what happened to Mickey [Mantle] and Lawrence Taylor. Two great atheletes who lost their way when not on the field."
- Posted by SHURCH4TRUTH at 02:20 PM : Nov 26, 2007

"Mantle spoke with great remorse of his drinking in a "Sports Illustrated" article, "I Was Killing Myself %u2013 My Life As An Alcoholic." He said that he was telling the same old stories, and realizing how much of them involved himself and others being drunk, and he decided they weren"t funny anymore. He admitted he had often been cruel and hurtful to family, friends and fans because of his alcoholism, and sought to make amends. He became a born-again Christian due to his former teammate Bobby Richardson, an ordained Baptist minister, sharing his faith with him. After the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, he joined with fellow Oklahoman and Yankee legend Bobby Murcer to raise money for the victims.

Mantle received a liver transplant at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, on June 8, 1995, after his liver had been damaged by years of chronic alcoholism, cirrhosis and hepatitis C. In July, he had recovered enough to deliver a press conference at Baylor, and noted that many fans had looked to him as a role model. "This is a role model: Don''t be like me," he said. He also established the Mickey Mantle Foundation to raise awareness for organ donations."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Mantle#Mantle.27s_last_days

[keithle1]

Drug deal gone bad? No. Couldn''t have been that...

[myidoncbs]

dan asks, "If you had a gun, would you go out and shoot your neighbors, your friends, your family members, and yourself with it?"

I would not, but as it turns out, those who feel the need to own guns frequently do ALL of those things. Even the "sane" ones and also the "law abiding" ones do so! Maybe there are hallucinogens in the powder, I don''t know. But that''s what they do.

Dan also said, "Too bad Sean Taylor didn''t shoot the intruder first."

Well, that''s the thing about expecting a gun to protect you. It doesn''t always work out that way. What happens far too often is that someone THINKS they''re shooting an intruder, but they shoot their kids, or their wife, or their friends. It''s dark, and something went bump in the night, so out comes the gun and, bang!, someone''s dead. In this case, he apparently pulled out a machete. Knife vs. gun, and the knife loses. Same thing for pistol vs. machine gun, or machine gun vs. bazooka, or bazooka vs. bomb, or conventional bomb vs. nuke, or slow draw vs. fast draw, or even the more common scenario: intruder who enters with gun loaded and drawn vs. sleeper who has to wake up, pick his gun up, etc. Guess who loses.

A world full of parnoid lunatics carrying guns is not a world any sane person wants to live in.

[myidoncbs]

Here''s some real enlightening gibberish: "''It was clearly a burglary, an armed burglary,'' Sharpstein said, adding nothing appeared to have been stolen."

Almost an oxymoron, eh? (Burglary /n/ the crime of entering a building to commit a felony, usually theft.)

But I think the fact that someone previously broke into his home, took nothing, and left a knife on his bed indicates a threat to kill him. It''s quite possible the same people returned to make good on the threat.

Whatever the situation, however, I wish him best of luck and a speedy recovery.

[keithle1]

What makes you think that if an armed intruder/s breaks into your home in the middle of the night intent on whatever that you''re going to have the presence of mind to calmly squeeze off a bullet or two that will actually hit them a la Dirty Harry?

How does the rest of the world survive without their citizens owning guns? 9 guns for every 10 people in the USA.

[iceman_1960]

"Too bad Sean Taylor didn"t shoot the intruder first.
Self Defense
A-HUMAN-RIGHT.com"
- Posted by gunownerdan at 02:55 PM : Nov 26, 2007

A number of firemen and policemen have been killed by triggerhappy homeowners when they have entered a home for legitimate purposes.

Better to say, too bad Sean Taylor didn"t have better home security, so that the intruder could not have entered in the first place.

[whatithink-2009]

Some of you people here are PATHETIC. You cry about blacks always bring up race, yet you can''t even prevent yourself from bringing up race when the topic has a black person involved. Get over yourselves!

Just heard that he died. God bless him and his family.

[whatithink-2009]

didnt_inhale,

I''m sure his family is devastated that you don''t care. We all live life hoping that you of all people will care. One question - if you didn''t care, why did you not only read the article but bother to post?

[truthspeake2]

My condolences to Taylor and his family...

[gunownerdan]

INTRUDERS PREFER UNARMED VICTIMS.
Self Defense
A-HUMAN-RIGHT.com

[gunownerdan]

Today criminals are more dangerous than ever, and they are being let out of jail all the time.
Homeowners must be prepared to deal with the threat of a violent attack.
A dog is great for home defense, but nothing works like a good flashlight and a 12 gauge shotgun.
Criminals love unarmed victims!
Self Defense
A-HUMAN-RIGHT.com

[gunownerdan]

When an intruder breaks into your home, you must meet them with equal or greater force. A machete will not work. Learn how to safely and properly use a gun. Today there are many options available for storing loaded guns in the home safely and securely. Criminals will always prefer unarmed victims!

[whatithink-2009]

didnt_inhale,

If you didn''t bother to read the article, it makes you an even bigger loser. You shouldn''t care whether he is an athlete or a trash collector, you should care that he is a human being. A 24 year old dying no matter what is sad. Your apathy is why our society has problems. You should be ashamed.

[whatithink-2009]

If we spent more time learning to care about our fellow man, instead of being jealous because they are an athlete or whatever other personal problems are running through someone''s head to prevent them from being sympathetic to someone else, can you imagine what a better world we would have? I don''t understand why people are impressed with themselves for being a-holes?

[gunownerdan]

mocaleo said:
"GUN KILL THEY DO NOT PROTECT"

Is that why all police officers carry guns? So they can kill people?

[searingtruth]

I am definitely not a sports fan. In fact I must admit, I''ve always found sports to be very boring, and honestly never understood the fascination with it, or why people that can throw, catch, or kick balls really well are held in such high esteem.

But that has nothing to do with the tragic death of a fellow human being, and those who disparage this individual and this tragedy because of jealousy, arbitrary hate for all, or perhaps just hatred for sports figures, only betray their own inhumanity.

And thank goodness, it sickens most people.

By all accounts this person was a good man, with a family that loved him, and that he loved, very much. That''s all that matters, and we should mourn his loss as we would any other good human being.

So to the friends and family of Mr. Taylor I can only offer my condolences and heartfelt sorrow. I hope that somehow you are able to get through this needless and horrific tragedy, and that the murderer is brought to justice.
ST


"Compassion requires the greatest strength of all."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave - www.searingtruth.com

[gunownerdan]

Mocaleao,
I hope one day that you will never need help from someone with a gun. I hope that you also never the victim of a dangerous criminal, but sometime that''s what it takes in order to understand the importance of being able to protect yourself.
It can be a scary world out there once you get out from under that rock!

[gunownerdan]

mocaleo,
All that childish name-calling really proves your ignorance on the subject. Thanks.

[dmhphils]

Sounds like Taylor may have made a few enemies up the road.

[gunownerdan]

THIS IS WHY YOU SHOOT INTRUDERS BEFORE THEY SHOOT YOU.

But always be sure of your target.

Being a responsible gun owner who can properly and safely use your firearm can save lives.

Safety first!
www.a-human-right.com

[killer139]

Seriously isn''t there a war going on???
Who cares...Sorry for the loss of life but he was a football player he didn''t cure cancer or end world poverty. Come on the news sucks, and so does football a license to do what you want and be worshipped by un-athletic fat people with no life.

[g-gfather]

I AM TRUELY SORRY FOR THIS YOUNG LIFE BEING LOST.UNTILL WE AS HUMAN BEINGS BEGIN TO ACT WITH HUMANITY AND SELFLESSNESS TOWARD ALL LIFE, VIOLENCE WILL CONTINUE.. THE WEAPONS ARE MANY FROM KNIVES TO NUKES. WE CANNOT USE FIRE TO FIGHT FIRE, AN EYE FOR AN EYE,FOR OUR BLINDNESS WILL LEAVE A SORCHED EARTH AND OUR CHILDREN WITH OUT HOPE OR DEAD. YET OUR RIGHT TO SELF PROTECTION AND TO DEFEND OUR LIBERTY REQUIRES THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR MEANS TO DO SO. WE ARE WITNESSING THE EROSION OF AND SYSTEMATIC ATTACK ON OUR LIBERTIES BY U.S. GOVERNMENT DAILY. I FOR ONE WILL NOT SURRENDER MY CHILDREN TO TYRANNY....FOR THE CHILDREN, LOVE TO ALL AND HEALING LOVE TO YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS - SEAN TAYLOR . GREATGRANDFATHER

[shirk3-2009]

I feel for his dad and mom, so much to be taken away so quickly.