Former NFL Player Terrell Roberts Shot & Killed In His Grandmother's Backyard

Witnesses were able to give police a description of the shooter.

BYErika Marie
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Richmond police in California's Bay Area are trying to piece together the mystery of how a former NFL player lost his life on Wednesday. Terrell Roberts, a 38-year-old athlete who played for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2003 to 2005, was reportedly visiting his grandmother's home when he was shot and killed in her backyard.

According to KPIX 5 News, an unknown assailant made his way into the grandmother's residence and opened fired on Roberts before fleeing the scene. Witnesses told investigators that they heard a "disturbance" and saw Roberts falling over. Responding police officers found Roberts dead at the scene with a single bullet wound to his chest. It's suspected that the shooter—who is described as a bald black male with a short beard between 20 and 35-years-old weighing about 250 pounds—and Roberts first argued in the garage before the former Bengals player was shot in the yard.

A neighbor told the news station that he spoke with Roberts's grandmother who couldn't believe that anyone who would harm him. "She was saying that she knew some of his so-called friends but she doesn’t know who it was, why they would do it to him," he said. "She didn’t know."

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About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.