METAIRIE, La. -- The shooting death of former NFL running back Joe McKnight hit close to home for many New Orleans Saints players, who were shaken up by the news on Friday.
McKnight was a New Orleans high school star and became the second high-profile player shot and killed in the New Orleans area this year, following the death of former Saints defensive end Will Smith in April. Both incidents apparently followed traffic altercations.
“I’m still a little torn by it, I still don’t believe it,” said Saints cornerback Delvin Breaux, a New Orleans native who was in the same high school graduating class as McKnight in 2007. “My wife asked me, ‘Babe, what’s wrong?’ And I was just like, ‘You just don’t know how close we were, that group in 2007.’ And we bonded and got close. And to hear that happened yesterday, it’s still unbelievable. Like, I don’t think he’s dead. That’s a good dude.
“But I want to know what happened. I don’t believe it. Like, what made the guy do what he did? Like, God damn. Over damn road rage? Just drive, just keep going. This s--- is crazy out here, man.”
Authorities said 54-year-old Ronald Gasser shot McKnight three times through an open window from inside Gasser’s car with a semi-automatic handgun while McKnight was standing outside.
Gasser was released from custody Friday morning, sparking criticism. Authorities did not release many details of the incident, saying they are waiting to speak with more witnesses, but Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand hinted that a “stand your ground” self-defense argument could come into play. And Norman made a point to refute one witness account that Gasser was standing over McKnight when he fired a shot.
McKnight’s shooting came just days before the start of the murder trial of Cardell Hayes, who is claiming self-defense in the April shooting of Smith.
Breaux was one of many Saints who were particularly upset that both incidents happened in New Orleans, which has a notorious reputation for gun violence.
“Man, it’s terrible. I’m tired of it,” Breaux said. “Some people can’t walk around their own city, their own neighborhood, in front of their own door for God’s sake, without something happening, man. Like, I was talking to one of my good friends from high school the other day, and he was just saying how sometimes he doesn’t even come outside. He just stays inside and minds his business because you never know what’s going through someone’s head or what’s going on around. So I stay cool, man. I just keep myself distanced from a lot of situations, and I only have a certain crew I hang around with.”
Saints running back Mark Ingram, who was outspoken in his call for unity in the wake of the shooting of Alton Sterling by Baton Rouge police and the ensuing protests, sent out the same message in the wake of McKnight’s shooting.
“Man, the only thing we can do is come together,” Ingram said. “I feel like these incidents bring a lot of division at times. I don’t know why. What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong, no matter color or the situation. But at the end of the day, we all need to come together, care about one another, love one another. That’s what I’ve said before, and I think ultimately, until we all care about each other and treat each other how we want to be treated, nothing’s going to change.”
Both Ingram and Breaux said they would like to do more through their community work to address the issue of violence -- as New Orleans natives such as Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu and former Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis have done, among others.
“I’ve seen Tyrann Mathieu put together something in the offseason and I want to add to that. I want to have a free camp or bring everybody together,” Breaux said. “But I look at it like, dog, he just had one. So a lot of guys are still not taking the initiative of, ‘This man is trying to get this community together, not down and separate.’”
“I would just say obviously we have to stop the violence,” Saints safety Jairus Byrd said. “People just need to understand that they can’t be so quick to just overreact. I feel like everyone wants to show how tough they are, be the one to start a fight or end it instead of doing ... He didn’t even get a chance to ... It’s just a power move, ‘I want to show I’m more powerful than you or I can beat you up, so I’m going to shoot you.’ It makes no sense. Dude, I feel like we just need to slow down. Like, let’s be more mature. Like, we’ve come to a time now where it’s like, ‘Let’s talk things out.’ That’s not cool. You don’t need to shoot a gun to prove that you’re in control or, ‘I win.’ It’s not about that.”
Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro expressed frustration over the fact that Gasser was released from custody so quickly.
“I don’t know how that works,” Vaccaro said. “Whether or not who was in the wrong, whatever, you don’t get released after you just shot somebody dead ... And then you’re back on the street? What if it happens again? And it has nothing to do with race, black, brown, white, purple, regardless, somebody that just did that shouldn’t be on the street. At least have ‘em in custody. They don’t have to be in handcuffs, but at least have ‘em until you know what’s going on.”
Saints coach Sean Payton was passionately outspoken in an interview with USA Today about gun violence and the need for gun control in the wake of Smith’s shooting in April, which he acknowledged might not be a popular opinion politically in Louisiana.
But the coach declined to expand on those thoughts Friday, adding that McKnight’s death was “tragic, obviously.”
McKnight’s death also hit close to home for many Saints players and many NFL players around the league because they so fondly recalled looking up to him when they were younger and watching his highlights on the internet.
“You don’t want to hear anybody get murdered, but especially someone that I’ve followed since high school, someone who I was in class in high school pulling up highlight films, watching him. Watched him through college, watched him in the NFL,” Ingram said. “It’s just a shame. It’s a shame, and it’s unnecessary to lose a good guy and for no reason, really.”