The NFL world was shocked to hear news Thursday that former New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs running back Joe McKnight was shot and killed in New Orleans.
There was more shock on Friday with news that the man authorities say shot McKnight was released without being charged.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune and Baton Rouge Advocate said Ronald Gasser, 54, who authorities say shot McKnight, was released overnight without being charged “as of yet,” a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman said.
“Gasser was released overnight and has not been charged as of yet. The matter remains under investigation,” Col. John Fortunato of the JPSO told the Advocate.
JPSO Sheriff Newell Normand held a press conference on Friday afternoon, which was broadcast on NOLA.com, in which he discounted some things that have been reported since McKnight’s death. He said Gasser did not stand over McKnight and shoot him, as one witness told the Times-Picayune. Normand said based on three casings from bullets fired by Gasser, Gasser fired all shots from inside his vehicle. He said there was no evidence that McKnight was apologizing to Gasser, as a witness told the Times-Picayune. According to the Times-Picayune, a witness said a man was seen yelling at McKnight, who was trying to apologize, at a busy intersection on Thursday afternoon before the man shot McKnight multiple times. Normand said that account was untrue.
Normand cautioned to not rush to judgment. He wouldn’t share details because “there are still witnesses that are out there.”
“External influences will not motivate this office one way or another on how we’re going to conduct this investigation strategically,” Normand said.
According to both newspapers, Gasser stayed at the scene and gave his gun to police when they arrived. Authorities said McKnight did not have a gun, according to the Times-Picayune.
McKnight starred in college at USC and played in the NFL from 2010 to 2014.
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