Will Smith, who was a defensive end for the New Orleans Saints that won the Super Bowl in 2010, was killed in what police described as a road rage incident. There is no evidence that Smith, 34, knew Cardell Hayes, the 28-year-old man who was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. There is nothing to suggest the shooting was “anything other than an accident that turned into a dispute, which turned violent,” Police Superintendent Michael Harrison said.
“While this was an isolated incident, it is certainly tragic at every level and on all sides,” Harrison said. “One life is over, and another life is ruined.”
Smith was apparently rear-ended while he was driving in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans on Saturday night. That made Smith hit the vehicle that was in front of him, according to police. Hayes, who was apparently the driver of the car that hit Smith, got out of the car and started arguing with the former Saints player. He then took out a handgun and shot Smith several times. Smith’s wife Racquel was also shot in the right leg. Police say Hayes stayed at the scene until law enforcement showed up.
There does appear to be an odd connection between Hayes and Smith, although it’s far from clear whether it’s just a coincidence. Hayes won a settlement from the city of New Orleans from a lawsuit he filed over the police shooting of his mentally ill father in 2005. On Saturday night, Smith had dinner with one of the officers named in the lawsuit, although he is now a retired police captain, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
The Saints revealed today that Smith had been voted into the Saints Hall of Fame last month and the news was scheduled to be made public in May.
Saints coach Sean Payton expressed his condolences on Twitter, calling Smith’s death “senseless.”
Several of Smith’s former teammates, as well as athletes throughout the sports world, also took to Twitter to express their shock and sadness at the news.
