Former Louisiana State University wide receiver Kyren Lacy has died. He was 24.
Lacy’s relatives confirmed his death to local Louisiana outlet WAFB 9 on Sunday, April 13. Further details, including a cause of death, have yet to be confirmed. (Us Weekly has reached out for comment.)
Lacy, a standout on LSU’s football team last season, had declared for the NFL Draft, which takes place starting Thursday, April 24 through Saturday, April 26.
Lacy’s death comes months after he was allegedly involved in a fatal car accident in December 2024. The former athlete was arrested and charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and reckless driving. At the time, authorities believed Lacy might have caused the accident before fleeing the scene.
“As Lacy was illegally passing the other vehicles, the driver of a northbound pickup truck abruptly braked and swerved to the right to avoid a head-on collision with the approaching Dodge,” a press release from the Louisiana State Police read. “Traveling behind the pickup was a 2017 Kia Cadenza whose driver swerved left to avoid the oncoming Dodge Charger. As the Kia Cadenza took evasive action to avoid impact with the Dodge, it crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a southbound 2017 Kia Sorento.”
At the time, Lacy’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, told ESPN in a statement that his client was “fully cooperating with the authorities.”
Lacy was released on a $151,000 bond and a grand jury was scheduled to begin hearing evidence on Monday, April 14 — the day after the football player’s death was confirmed. Lacy, through his attorney, had denied any involvement.
Kyren Lacy Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images
“As the defense attorney for Kyren Lacy, I wish to address the charges of negligent homicide and clarify the facts surrounding this tragic incident,” lawyer Matthew Ory said in a statement in February. “On the day of the accident, Mr. Lacy was driving on a road with two lanes, one in each direction. While he briefly passed other vehicles, he safely reentered his lane without incident.”
Ory added, “The collision that resulted in the death of [another driver] was not caused by Mr. Lacy’s actions. The accident occurred directly in front of him when a second vehicle in the oncoming lane crossed the centerline and collided with [the] vehicle, in which he was a passenger.”
Football fans have mourned a heartbreaking amount of NFL stars in 2024. In February, Tony Hutson passed away at age 48, according to an obituary shared at the time. No cause of death was given. “Lost one of my favorite teammates and great friends in Tony Hutson last night,” Hutson’s former teammate Randall Godfrey wrote […]
Ory further denied that Lacy caused the collision and only “cautiously went around the vehicles after passage was safe.”
“It is crucial to emphasize that Mr. Lacy did not cause or contribute to the crash. There was no suspicion of alcohol or drug use involved,” Ory said. “Furthermore, contrary to some media reports, Mr. Lacy never ‘returned’ to the scene of the accident. … He did not believe he was at fault for the accident, and as such, he continued with his daily activities. Throughout his career, Mr. Lacy has been an exemplary community member and teammate. We ask that he not be judged prematurely, and we are confident that further investigation will show he acted within the bounds of the law.”
