Reaction pours in after the passing of former LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Former LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy died over the weekend in what authorities believe was a self-inflicted shooting following a police pursuit in Houston.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded late Saturday to a report that Lacy had fired a gun during an argument with a relative. When they attempted a traffic stop, Lacy fled, eventually crashing his vehicle. Deputies found him inside with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A handgun registered in Lacy’s name was recovered from the vehicle.

Lacy, 24, was a standout receiver for the Tigers and had recently declared for the NFL Draft. His death has prompted an outpouring of grief from the sports community and renewed conversations about mental health.

LSU Football posted: “The LSU Football family mourns the loss of Kyren Lacy.”

Former LSU star Ja’Marr Chase wrote “Dam rip lacy ❤️,” while Angel Reese shared, “Mental health is real. Check on your people! You never know what someone is going through.”

Lacy’s father also posted publicly: “Mental health is real, and for the most part, it’s invisible. Don’t ignore the signs, even if they may seem small.”

Tributes poured in from across the NFL, including Russell Wilson, A.J. Brown, Kyler Murray and Le’Veon Bell. Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Head Coach Michael Desormeaux, who coached Lacy before he transferred to LSU, called it difficult to find the right words: “A lot of our guys are hurting today.”

At the time of his death, Lacy was facing charges related to a December 2024 crash that killed an elderly man in Lafourche Parish. He had denied wrongdoing, and his attorney said Sunday that a grand jury hearing was scheduled for Tuesday.

“We were very confident the evidence would lead to a declination of charges,” said attorney Matthew Ory, who also criticized how the investigation was handled and called for a full review.

A native of Thibodaux, Lacy caught 58 passes for 866 yards and nine touchdowns in his final season at LSU. His death is being reviewed by the Civil Rights Division of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

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