Two LSU football players were involved in the fatal shooting of a man Saturday afternoon in Baton Rouge, with police saying it appears they acted in self-defense during an incident that allegedly stemmed from the sale of an electronic device.
Police said they believe that Kobe Johnson, 18, attempted to rob Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jared Small, pulling a gun on them and demanding their belongings as they sat in the front seat of a truck around noon in the city's Scotlandville neighborhood. One of the players, according to reports, pulled a handgun and shot several times at Johnson, who was in the back seat of the truck.
Johnson was not an LSU student and died at the scene Saturday.
Baton Rouge police spokesman Sgt. L'Jean McKneely told NOLA.com that, while the case remains under investigation, it "appears to be" leaning toward self-defense. An attorney for one of the players concurs. "We believe this is an act of self-defense and the evidence will show that," Christopher Murell told the Advocate on Saturday evening.
Police have not indicated which player did the shooting and one of the players called 911. Both athletes waited for police to arrive. They were questioned at the scene and released.
Authorities have not said whether the player was licensed to carry the firearm he used.
Edwards-Helaire, a sophomore and Baton Rouge native, is the Tigers' second-leading rusher with 626 yards and 7 touchdowns in 12 games this season. Small, a true freshman and a walk-on who also is from Baton Rouge, has played sparingly.
It remains to be seen how LSU will handle their playing status when the Tigers finish the season against Central Florida in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1.
The only comment so far from LSU has come from Athletic Director Joe Alleva, who said in a statement that the university was "in constant contact with law enforcement regarding this terrible situation."
"Right now, our concern is for the safety and well-being of our student-athletes," the statement said. "They have been involved in a traumatic incident and we have made our counselors available to assist immediately."
Alleva deferred all other questions to law enforcement.
The shooting was the second involving an LSU athlete in the past three months. In late September, Tigers basketball player Wayde Sims, also a Baton Rouge native, was killed by gunfire on a street near Southern University's campus while trying to defend a friend who had been involved in a fight.
Sports on 12/24/2018