Will Smith, a former Saints defensive end, was fatally shot in New Orleans at the age of 34.
Will Smith, a former New Orleans Saints defensive end, died at the age of 34 after being shot in his automobile on Camp Street in New Orleans late on April 9.
NOLA.com’s Michael DeMocker broke the story and collected photographs from the crime scene:
The incident happened at 11:29 p.m. CT, according to Wilborn P. Nobles III of NOLA.com. “Orleans Parish Coroner Dr. Jeffrey Rouse confirmed Smith was the fatal victim in the incident,” Nobles said in a statement. “According to police, Smith’s wife was injured and was taken to a hospital.” The shooter is being interrogated.”
According to Garland Gillen of Fox 8: Saints VP of Communications and Broadcasting Greg Bensel confirmed Smith’s death, and the police offered a detailed narrative of what happened.
Lyons Yellin of WWL-TV said that two guys are in arrest for the double shooting and that one of the men acknowledged to firing the rounds. According to Yellin, a police source confirmed a three-car crash and an incident occurred before to the shooting.
“Orleans Parish records show Cardell Hayes was booked around 8 a.m. this morning on second-degree murder charges for the shooting of [Smith],” NOLA.com’s Katherine Terrell reported on Sunday. Hayes’ mug image was shared on Twitter by The Advocate:
Hayes’ bond has been set at $1 million, according to NOLA.com’s Ken Daley.
“Hayes was a football player at Warren Easton High School in 2004 and was ranked among the top prospects in Louisiana,” Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com said. “As recently as 2015, it appears he was still playing football for the Crescent City Kings, a local developmental team.”
Hayes also filed a lawsuit against the city of New Orleans and six New Orleans police officers in 2006, after his father was “pepper-sprayed and shot nine times by police while brandishing a knife along St. Charles Avenue in the Garden District,” according to Daley.
After learning about the shooter, Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu went to Twitter:
On Wednesday, the lawyer for Hayes’ passenger told NBC News, via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk, that Smith’s death was self-defense.
“Smith had a gun and was going to shoot it, and Cardell may have saved both of their lives,” attorney Tanzanika Ruffin said, referring to Hayes and his passenger. “In my mind, this is justifiable homicide. We assume Will Smith is a saint, but he’s not.”
At no time during this event did Will Smith ever brandish or carry on his person a firearm,” Smith’s family attorney Peter Thomson said, per Daley.
Thomson added, per Woodbery, that the gun was “in [the] compartment in the vehicle the entire time.”
Woodbery cited a witness from a nearby house who reported hearing “yelling and about five gunshots” before running inside. Per Woodbery, a tourist staying at a bed-and-breakfast comforted Smith’s wife Racquel, who was shot in the leg. The tourist accompanied Smith’s wife until paramedics and the police arrived.
Hayes’ attorney John Fuller said “at least one witness saw a gun in [Smith’s] possession,” per Woodbery. Fuller also said Hayes wanted to be an NFL player, and Smith “was a player he adored, who he wanted to be like.” Fuller indicated that “Hayes collapsed in his chair, stunned after being told it was [Smith],” and did not know it was him until Sunday. 
On Friday, Fuller sent a letter to New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu asking for NOPD to be withdrawn from Smith’s investigation, per Emily Lane of NOLA.com:
