Kyren Lacy, a former Louisiana State University (LSU) wide receiver and 2025 NFL Draft prospect, died just days before he was set to appear before a grand jury over a deadly car crash.
The 24-year-old was found dead in Houston on Saturday night (April 12), his attorney confirmed Sunday.
According to CBS News, authorities were first called to respond to a weapons disturbance after a relative reported that Lacy had been involved in a verbal altercation and had fired a gun into the ground. When officers arrived, they learned that the footballer had already fled the scene in a vehicle.
Roughly 20 minutes later, “a Constable's Office unit spotted Lacy and attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle. Lacy then fled and a vehicle pursuit took place spanning several miles,” the sheriff’s report stated.
The chase ended when Lacy’s vehicle crashed. “Upon attempting to take Lacy into custody and remove him from the vehicle, [officers] discovered he had suffered what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the report continued. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
In the wake of the tragic news, LSU released a statement: "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."
Lacy’s friend, Rontrell Sandolph, also paid tribute to the late athlete on Instagram, writing: "I’m so lost for words. I’m speechless."
He shared a carousel of photos and videos of Lacy and added: "I’m speechless. I went to sleep 4 times and woke up to see if that was a dream.
"All the talks, all the tears, everything, you know GOD had us," he continued, adding, "The dreams we had started to kick in, you making it to [the] NFL [and] me playing ball overseas. [Our] dreams [were] coming to reality."
The tragedy comes months after the footballer was arrested for his alleged role in a December crash that claimed the life of Herman Hall, a 78-year-old former Marine.
Lacy faced charges of negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run with death, and reckless operation of a vehicle, per WAFB Louisiana. The case was scheduled to be presented to a grand jury on Monday.
“The driver of the Dodge, later identified as 24-year-old Kyren Lacy of Thibodaux, recklessly passed multiple vehicles at a high rate of speed by crossing the centerline and entering the northbound lane while in a designated No-Passing Zone,” a Louisiana State Police Department release stated in January, The New York Post reported.
“As Lacy was illegally passing the other vehicles, the driver of a northbound pickup truck abruptly braked and swerved to the right to avoid a head-on collision with the approaching Dodge. Traveling behind the pickup was a 2017 Kia Cadenza whose driver swerved left to avoid the on coming Dodge Charger. As the Kia Cadenza took evasive action to avoid impact with the Dodge, it crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a southbound 2017 Kia Sorento.
“Following the crash, Lacy drove around the crash scene and fled south on LA Hwy 20 without stopping to render aid, call emergency services, or report his involvement in the crash. Troop C was later notified that Hall, who was a passenger in the Kia Sorrento, succumbed to his injuries from the crash after being transported to a hospital for treatment," the statement concluded.
Lacy had participated in LSU’s pro day on March 26 and was considered a promising talent entering the draft.
He began his collegiate football career at Louisiana-Lafayette before transferring to LSU, where he played three seasons. In 2024, he tallied 58 catches for 866 yards and nine touchdowns.
In a statement to WAFB-TV, Lacy’s attorney expressed deep frustration over the investigation.
“Kyren’s was scheduled to have his matter heard before a grand jury tomorrow, wherein we were very confident the evidence, after being fully collected and reviewed, would lead to a declination of charges,” the attorney said.
“From the very beginning, this so-called investigation took on the appearance of an overzealous, targeted effort- what can only be described as a witch hunt—fueled by who Kyren was and the public profile he carried. The decision by the investigating agency to charge him at all, in our view, was not only unjustified, it was disturbing. It’s imperative to understand the Lafourche Parish District Attorney, to this day, has not formally charged Kyren.
“Kyren was a young man with immense promise, and he was crushed under the weight of an irresponsible and prejudiced process," he added.
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