Kenny McKinley, a wide receiver with the Denver Broncos, was discovered dead at his apartment Monday in an apparent suicide.
McKinley, 23, appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a police report obtained by CBS News. The investigation, according to the report, is still ongoing.
According to the police report, sheriff’s deputies were called to McKinley’s house to investigate a complaint of a suspected suicide.
Authorities were called to McKinley’s apartment in Centennial at 3:35 p.m. local time and discovered his death in the second-floor master bedroom, according to Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson.
According to Robinson, McKinley’s female companion discovered the body after returning from an errand with his child. The sheriff refused to clarify whether or not detectives discovered a suicide note.
“It’s still part of our investigation and probably nothing we’ll talk about right now,” he told reporters.
McKinley’s death is the latest in a long line of disasters for the Broncos. On New Year’s Day 2007, cornerback Darrent Williams was killed in a drive-by shooting. Willie Clark, a suspected gang member, was found guilty of murder in that death in March.
In March 2007, three months after Williams’ death, Broncos backup running back Damien Nash fell and died following a charity basketball game in St. Louis.
“Everyone associated with the Broncos is shocked and saddened by the loss of Kenny McKinley,” said team owner Pat Bowlen in a statement. “He was a member of the Broncos family and will be sorely missed by our team.” My deepest sympathies go out to Kenny’s family and friends.”
The Broncos announced on Tuesday that coach Josh McDaniels would speak with the media.
“Kenny had a promising future on the football field, but more importantly, he was a great teammate whose smile and personality could light up the room,” McDaniels said in a statement. Our football team has suffered a devastating loss, and his family is in our thoughts and prayers during this trying time.”
McKinley, a second-year pro, was on the injured reserve list due to a knee injury. He appeared in eight games as a rookie in 2009, recording seven kick returns for 158 yards before being placed on injured reserve on December 29 due to a knee injury.
He recovered and took part in the team’s offseason exercises before getting hurt again during the first week of training camp and being placed on injured reserve on Aug. 5.
McKinley was drafted in the fifth round out of South Carolina in 2009. He went to South Cobb High School in Austell, Georgia.
McKinley is South Carolina’s all-time leading receiver, having caught 207 passes for 2,781 yards. He returned to campus earlier this month to witness the Gamecocks defeat Georgia 17-6 and to meet with his college coach, Steve Spurrier.
“Had a wonderful smile on his face, just like he always did,” Spurrier recalled.
At the conclusion of South Carolina’s practice on Monday, word of McKinley’s death circulated rapidly. Players who ordinarily race off the field with their heads held high went slowly and with their heads down.
“Kenny was without a doubt one of my all-time favorite players.” “It’s difficult to understand why it happened this way,” Spurrier remarked.
Several Broncos players attended a fundraiser in honor of Williams on Monday night.
The wine-tasting VIP event benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver, home of the Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center, was led by cornerback Champ Bailey and former NFL player John Lynch.
Bailey told The Associated Press last week that it was an opportunity for fans and friends to celebrate the life of the player known as D-Will, especially after the trial earlier this year in which Willie Clark, 26, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Williams after a nightclub brawl. Clark was sentenced to life in prison plus 1,152 years in April.
“It’s time to remember D-Will the way he lived, not how he died,” Bailey said last week.The Broncos, who defeated Seattle 31-14 on Sunday, rushed out of their Dove Valley practice facilities Monday night, many of them ignorant of the latest tragedy to strike the club.
