Jovan Belcher Commits Suicide At Chiefs' Facility After Fatally Shooting Girlfriend: REPORTS

Police: NFL Player Kills Girlfriend, Commits Suicide

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend and then took his own life on Saturday morning, according to various reports.

As reported by KCTV in Kansas City, police confirm that the 25-year-old Chiefs player shot and killed his girlfriend at a private residence before taking his own life outside the team's facility.

According to the Kansas City Star, police confirmed that Belcher was the player involved. The Star had previously reported that the player involved was confronted by team personnel in the parking lot outside the team's facilities before taking his own life. Citing unnamed sources, Mike Garafolo of USA Today and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports also name Belcher as the player involved.

Police spokesman Darin Snapp told The Associated Press, that the player spoke with Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli and head coach Romeo Crennel in the parking lot, thanking them for all they had done for him, before turning his gun on himself.

Undrafted out of the Maine, Belcher had been with the Chiefs since the 2009 season. According to the Kansas City Star, he and his girlfriend had a 3-month-old daughter.

"We can confirm that there was an incident at Arrowhead earlier this morning. We are cooperating with authorities in their investigation."

According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, the NFL intends for the Chiefs to play their Week 13 game against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

The shocking news elicited many reactions from players across the NFL.

MORE FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 25-year-old Kansas City Chiefs player fatally shot his girlfriend early Saturday, then drove to Arrowhead Stadium and committed suicide in front of two team officials, police said.

Police spokesman Darin Snapp said the player killed his girlfriend and then went to the team practice facility, where he shot himself. He did not identify either the player or his victim.

Before turning the gun on himself, the player thanked Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli and Romeo Crennel for all they had done for him, Snapp said.

Authorities received a call Saturday morning from a woman who said her daughter had been shot multiple times at a residence about five miles away from the Arrowhead complex. Snapp said a call was then received from the Chiefs' facility.

Upon arriving, Snapp said that police witnessed a black male in a car with a handgun to his head talking to two Chiefs officials. That's when police heard a gunshot. Arrowhead Stadium has been lockdown since about 8 a.m.

"We can confirm that there was an incident at Arrowhead earlier this morning," the Chiefs said in a statement. "We are cooperating with authorities in their investigation."

Kansas City is scheduled to host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The league has informed the Panthers to travel as scheduled because the game is going on as scheduled.

The season has been a massive disappointment for the Chiefs, who were expected to contend for the AFC West title.

They're just 1-10 and mired in an eight-game losing streak that has been marked by devastating injuries and fan upheaval, with constant calls the past few weeks for Pioli and Crennel to be fired. Things have been so bad this season that Crennel fired himself as defensive coordinator.

The Chiefs have been ravaged by injuries, led the league in turnovers, can't settle on a quarterback and are dealing with a full-fledged fan rebellion. The Twitter account for a fan group known as "Save Our Chiefs" recently surpassed 80,000 followers, about 17,000 more than the announced crowd at a recent game.

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Associated Press Writer Heather Hollingsworth contributed to this report.

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