During his final college season at LSU, top wide receiver Kyren Lacy declared for the NFL Draft and seemed destined for the league. But that future never materialized. In January, Lacy committed a tragic hit-and-run accident in Louisiana that claimed the life of a senior citizen. Authorities arrested him two days later and scheduled a grand jury hearing to determine the course of his case.
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But the hearing never happened. Lacy took his own life before the legal process could unfold—an act that shocked the sports world and left many grappling with grief and unanswered questions.
On their show, Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson reflected on Lacy’s death. They emphasized that the public had already made up its mind about his guilt or innocence—long before his death—effectively rendering the debate irrelevant. As Sharpe noted, “Nowadays, people assume you’re guilty before you’re even heard.”
Sharpe pointed out a dangerous mindset among athletes—the belief that they’re untouchable, shielded from consequences by fame or talent. But Lacy’s situation was a stark reminder that this illusion of invincibility can shatter instantly. He stated that Kyren didn’t get into that car thinking something tragic was about to unfold, but it did.
“This young man is gone. Although, he didn’t think there was a way out because sometimes people just want to get out of the pain. But what he did is he left more pain because he left his mom, dad, siblings, uncles, and aunts. Imagine the pain they are in. He is trying to relieve his pain and cause so much more pain to so many more people.”
Shannon also criticized the justice system, which he believes traps people rather than supporting them. He argued that there’s no presumption of innocence. Once you’re in it, you’re already drowning. For Lacy, it seems the pressure, fear, and shame became too much. In his mind, the only escape was death. But in making that choice, he left his loved ones with a lifetime of pain.
Sharpe lamented that Lacy’s final act may have brought him relief, but it passed unbearable sorrow onto the people who loved him. He gave them more pain just to relieve his own. “And I can’t even begin to imagine what they’re feeling right now.”
While deeply mourning the loss of the elderly man whose life was cut short, Sharpe also grieved for Lacy. According to him, both of these deaths are tragedies.
Kyren Lacy tangles with the law that led to his death
Lacy committed a hit-and-run in December and fled the scene without calling 911. He soon surrendered himself, and they released him on a $151,000 bail and charged him with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run with death, and reckless operation of a vehicle by the Sheriff’s office. The 78-year-old man he had hit died from the impact.
Things went downhill from there. A grand jury was about to be convened to ascertain his guilt or innocence. However, on the day of his death, he found himself in an interaction with a family member, where he discharged a firearm on the ground and then fled the scene. Cops chased him in a high-speed pursuit, which came to an end when Lacy crashed his car. When the cops opened the car, they found a gunshot wound, ascertaining that he had committed suicide.
He died two days before the grand jury investigation. If found guilty, he would’ve faced up to five years in prison, along with a hefty fine. However, his lawyer believed a grand jury would have found him innocent.
