A Kansas City Chiefs player shot himself dead at the team's training facility on Saturday, after an earlier incident in which he is suspected to have killed his girlfriend. Police confirmed that an investigation had been launched into the two related deaths, one at a private residence and one near Arrowhead Stadium.
The identity of the NFL player has not been released by the club or authorities, but reports have named him as Jovan Belcher, a 25-year-old linebacker.
A Kansas City police spokesman, Darin Snapp, said authorities were first alerted to a shooting shortly before 8am local time. A female caller said her daughter had been shot multiples times at a house around five miles from the Arrowhead complex. The injured victim was taken to hospital but later pronounced dead by doctors.
It is believed that Belcher drove to the team's practice facility still armed. The stadium was put on lockdown and officers called to the scene.
"At around 8.10am, we received a call to the Arrowhead practice facility in regards to a black male armed with a gun in the parking lot, and he matched the description of the shooting suspect," Snapp told NFL.com. "Officers arrived, saw a black man with a gun to his head and some Chiefs employees."
As police began to approach the suspect, he shot himself. He was taken to hospital but died of his injuries.
In a statement on the club's website, the Kansas City Chiefs said: "We can confirm that there was an incident at Arrowhead earlier this morning. We are cooperating with authorities in their investigation."
The Chiefs are due to play the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Police said two club officials – thought to have been general manager Scott Pioli and coach Romeo Crennel – had spoken to Belcher in the parking lot of the training facility shortly before he took his life.