Former LSU receiver Kyren Lacy was found dead late Saturday night from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after a police pursuit, the Harris County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office said Sunday. He was 24.
The Constable’s Office responded to a call Saturday evening from one of Lacy’s family members who said he shot a gun into the ground, according to the sheriff’s office. Lacy left before authorities arrived. When law enforcement tried to stop his car about 20 minutes later, he fled again. The pursuit lasted several miles until his car crashed, the sheriff’s office said.
As law enforcement officials moved to try to take him into custody, they discovered his gunshot wound and a handgun in the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and the preliminary investigation determined he shot himself before his car crashed, according to the sheriff’s office.
Lacy was pursuing a future in the NFL but was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine after a Dec. 17 car crash near his hometown of Thibodaux, La., that killed 78-year-old Herman Hall. Lacy was facing charges of negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and reckless operation of a vehicle. He turned himself in to authorities on Jan. 12 and was released on bond.
Lacy’s father, Kenny, turned to Facebook to tell parents to check on their children’s mental health.
“(D)on’t ignore the signs, even if they may seem small,” his dad wrote. “Our lives have changed forever and this will never be OK, but God needed my baby more than he was needed here. This has to be the biggest pill our families have had to swallow but I know the love and compassion in our families will get us through.
“This will never get easier, but we’ll learn to live with it.”
Lacy, who played three seasons at LSU after transferring from Louisiana Lafayette, led the Tigers with nine touchdown catches last season. He had 866 yards on 58 receptions in 12 games.
LSU released a statement Sunday, saying: “We’re saddened to learn of the tragic passing of former LSU Football student-athlete Kyren Lacy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones, as well as his former teammates and coaches impacted by his passing.”
The LSU Football family mourns the loss of Kyren Lacy https://t.co/Me2GBZ6Ao8
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) April 13, 2025
Once the law enforcement investigation is complete, it will be reviewed by the district attorney’s civil rights division, which is standard practice for deaths during an attempted arrest, according to the sheriff’s office.
(Photo: Stephen Lew / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)