NEW ORLEANS — Former NFL player Joe McKnight was shot dead in New Orleans on Thursday in what police described as “a possible road rage incident.”
Suspect Ronald Gasser, 54, was taken into custody for questioning after handing his gun to authorities at the scene.
A witness said she saw two men standing at an intersection in the city’s Terrytown suburb, NOLA.com reported. One man was shouting at the other, who was trying to apologize, according to the witness.
McKnight, 28, was unarmed, police said. He was shot multiple times and died at the scene despite attempts by the emergency services to revive him.
McKnight was a star running back for the University of Southern California before he was drafted to the NFL by the New York Jets in 2010. He went on to play for the Kansas City Chiefs and most recently played in the Canadian Football League.
McKnight is the second former NFL player to be shot dead in New Orleans this year in a suspected road rage incident.
Former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith was shot and killed in the city’s Lower Garden District in April. The trial of suspect Cardell Hayes on charges that include first-degree murder is scheduled to begin on Monday in the city.