Report: LSU players fatally shot man who tried to rob them; attorneys claim self-defense
On Saturday, LSU RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire and walk-on LB Jared Small were involved in a fatal shooting.
Not many details were known at the time, but now it appears that one of the players did indeed fire the shot that killed the 18-year-old man.
However, per a report from The Advocate, new details claim the players were trying to sell an electronic item when Johnson pulled out a weapon and tried to rob them:
In providing new details about the case, police said two LSU football players — who sources identified as key running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and walk-on linebacker Jared Small — were trying to sell an electronic item when Kobe Johnson pulled out a weapon and demanded the players’ belongings.
One of the two players pulled out a handgun and shot Johnson multiple times.
Lawyers for the two players released a statement claiming that the shooting was in self-defense and that they believe both players will be cleared:
“We believe this is an act of self-defense and the evidence will show that,” said Christopher Murell, one of the three attorneys representing Edwards-Helaire and Small, who are also both graduates of Catholic High School in Baton Rouge.
What the players’ status for the Fiesta Bowl is has not yet been decided, and it is still unclear if any arrests will be made in the case. For now, it’s a wait-and-see approach as the police continue to review the evidence.