The Cowboys honored their late teammate Marshawn Kneeland after his death by suicide Thursday by placing several bouquets of flowers at his locker inside the team’s facility.
Cornerback Josh Butler shared a photo Friday of Kneeland’s locker, with roses and other flowers on his seat, with the caption: “Love you dawg.”
The Cowboys are on their bye week, while they have dealt with the shocking news that their 24-year-old teammate died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound early Thursday morning following a police chase.
The team has made counseling available to those in the organization in the meantime, with the team scheduled to return to practice Monday, according to ESPN.
Dallas star quarterback Dak Prescott gave an emotional response Thursday while attending a field dedication in his honor at his Louisiana high school.
“It’s been a very tough day … it started early finding out the news,” Prescott told CBS News Texas while at the newly named Prescott Field. “Tragic loss. I hurt. Heavy, heavy heart today. I hurt for Marshawn. I hurt for his family. I hurt for his girlfriend [Catalina]. I hurt for every single one of my teammates.
“This is a pain that you don’t wish upon anybody. You wish none of us had to go through this. You wish Marshawn didn’t have to go through what he went through. And [I’m] just thankful for each moment we have in this life and don’t take it for granted — and hug and love on those that you do.”
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said it attempted to stop a vehicle due to a traffic infraction at 10:33 p.m. Wednesday night but the driver refused to stop, leading to a pursuit in which the suspect escaped. The DPS later found the vehicle without the driver after seemingly being in a crash.
Here is the latest on Cowboys player Marshawn Kneeland
The DPS then found Kneeland dead from a “self-inflicted gunshot wound,” with the Frisco police department stating he had “suicidal intentions” before they found him at 1:31 a.m. Thursday.
The Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office is scheduled to investigate the cause of death.
The audio dispatch from the night mentioned Kneeland’s girlfriend — named as Catalina by the Cowboys in their statement after Kneeland’s death — saying he was armed and would “end it all.”
Kneeland also supposedly texted his family “goodbye,” per the audio dispatch.
“We’re talking to the girlfriend, she’s trying to call the agent, so we’re trying to get her to call him first but she’s saying he is armed and has a history of mental illness, and her quote was, ‘He will end it all,’” the dispatcher said in the audio obtained by TMZ Sports.
Kneeland, a 2024 second-round pick, played in the Cowboys’ 27-17 loss to the Cardinals this past Monday on “Monday Night Football,” scoring a touchdown on a blocked punt.
He appeared in 18 games over two seasons, including seven this season.
“It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning. Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization,” the Cowboys said in a statement Thursday morning.
“Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for free and confidential crisis counseling.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
