HOUSTON — Former LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy and NFL hopeful Kyren Lacy has died at the age of 24, Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) confirmed. The Coroner’s office in Houston confirmed the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head and the manner was a suicide.
“We’re saddened to learn of the tragic passing of former LSU Football student-athlete Kyren Lacy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones, as well as his former teammates and coaches impacted by his passing,” LSU said in a release.
Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office responded to the Willowbend apartments near Houston, TX for an argument between two people in the parking lot, per HCSO.
The family member who called police told officials that Kyren Lacy fled the scene in his own vehicle.
“At approximately 11:35 p.m., a Pct. 4 Constable’s Office unit spotted Lacy and attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle. Lacy then fled and a vehicle pursuit took place spanning several miles. Near the 25900 block of Aldine Westfield, the suspect vehicle crashed,” said HCSO.
Officials added that when they went to Lacy into custody and remove him from the vehicle, they found what appeared to be a “self-inflicted gunshot wound.” Lacy died at the scene.
HCSO says the vehicle Lacy was driving was registered and insured in his name.
“Preliminary information indicates Lacy shot himself during the pursuit and prior to the vehicle crashing. A handgun was recovered from the interior of the vehicle. A review of the Pct. 4 units body camera and in car dash mounted video did not indicate any shots were fired after the pursuit ended,” said HCSO.
An autopsy will be conducted to confirm the manner and cause of death.
Lacy turned himself into Louisiana State Police in Jan. 2025 after an arrest warrant was issued for felony hit-and-run and reckless operation of a vehicle charges. He was accused of causing a crash that killed a 78-year-old man in Lafourche Parish on Dec. 17 and then fleeing the scene without contacting authorities or attempting to help the victim.
His case was set to go before a grand jury on Monday, April 14, 2025.
Lacy’s attorney Matthew Ory issued a statement in response to Lacy’s death.
It is with profound sorrow that we confirm the tragic passing of Kyren Lacy. First and foremost, we ask that the public and the media give his family the space and time they need to grieve this unimaginable loss in peace.
Kyren’s was scheduled to have his matter heard before a grand jury tomorrow wherein we were very confident the evidence, after being fully collected and reviewed, would lead to a declination of charges.
From the very beginning, this so-called investigation took on the appearance of an overzealous, targeted effort—what can only be described as a witch hunt—fueled by who Kyren was and the public profile he carried. The decision by the investigating agency to charge him at all, in our view, was not only unjustified, it was disturbing. It’s imperative to understand the Lafourche Parish District Attorney, to this day, has not formally charged Kyren.
Kyren was a young man with immense promise, and he was crushed under the weight of an irresponsible and prejudiced process. The negative barrage on social media, the circulation of his mugshot by nearly every news outlet rather than a standard photo, the recent civil lawsuit filed against him that named another defendant who mysteriously wasn’t charged with a crime, only him, and the overall tone of coverage painted a deeply biased picture before he ever had the chance to defend himself. There was never a presumption of innocence which was exemplified by the NFL pulling his draft card over mere accusations without affording him the slightest chance to defend himself. The pressure and perception likely became unbearable.
Let us be absolutely clear: This is far from over. We will be demanding a full and transparent review of how this investigation was conducted and why. Those responsible for this gross miscarriage of justice must and will be held accountable.
In the meantime, we again urge everyone to respect the Lacy family’s privacy and allow them the dignity to mourn the loss of their beloved son.
I’ll never forget you #2. Until we meet again.
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