Former LSU wide receiver was found dead Saturday night in Houston from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in his car after being pursued by police, according to a report Sunday from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. He was 24.
Police said they responded at approximately 11:15 p.m. Saturday to a call from a female family member, who told them Lacy fired a gun into the ground during a verbal argument. When police arrived, they learned Lacy had driven away from the scene.
Law enforcement tried to stop him about 20 minutes later, and Lacy fled. He was involved in a car chase for several miles before crashing, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Upon trying to remove Lacy from the car and place him in custody, deputies said they discovered Lacy had suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and found a handgun in the vehicle. Emergency personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
Lacy shot himself before the car crashed, according to a preliminary investigation by the Sheriff’s Office homicide detectives and crime scene units. Police said a review of body camera and car dash-mounted video did not indicate any shots were fired after the chase ended.
"We’re saddened to learn of the tragic passing of former LSU football student-athlete Kyren Lacy," LSU said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones, as well as his former teammates and coaches impacted by his passing."
Earlier this year, Lacy was accused of causing a Dec. 17 in Lafourche Parish that killed 78-year-old Herman Hall. He faced counts of negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and reckless operation of a vehicle, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office said. On Jan. 12, Lacy and was released after posting $151,000 bail.
A grand jury was scheduled to begin hearing evidence in Lacy’s case Monday. His attorney, Matthew Ory, said in a statement that he believed the evidence would have led to a "declination of charges." Ory added he would demand a review of the police investigation into Lacy's involvement in the December crash.
“Kyren was a young man with immense promise, and he was crushed under the weight of an irresponsible and prejudiced process,” Ory said in the statement. “ … The pressure and perception likely became unbearable.”
Lacy’s father, Kenny Lacy, encouraged parents to check on their children’s mental health at an early age after his son's death.
"Don't ignore the signs, even if they may seem small," Kenny Lacy wrote on Facebook. “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."
Lacy, a Thibodaux native, was one of LSU's leading receivers last season with 58 receptions for 866 yards and nine touchdowns, which tied for the most in the SEC. He recently worked out at LSU's pro day in advance of the NFL draft.
In December, Lacy was driving a 2023 Dodge Charger on La. 20 near Perez Lane when he "recklessly passed multiple vehicles at a high rate of speed by crossing the centerline and entering the northbound lane while in a no-pass zone," according to a release from Louisiana State Police.
As the driver of a northbound pickup truck swerved to the right to avoid a collision with Lacy, the driver behind the truck took evasive action and crossed the centerline, striking a southbound Kia Sorento head on, police said.
After the accident, police said Lacy drove around the crash scene without stopping to help, call emergency services or report his part in the crash.
Ory claimed in a statement released Feb. 2 that Lacy did not cause the collision. The statement said, in part, that while Lacy "briefly passed other vehicles, he safely reentered his lane without incident."
Lacy was a three-star recruit who began his career at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He played two seasons before transferring to LSU. Lacy caught 112 passes for 1,692 yards and 16 touchdowns in three seasons with the Tigers.
