Shooter Aimed At NFL Player's Wife First In Fatal Road Rage Incident

Source: The Sporting News / Getty

Attorney Peter Thomson has announced that NFL player Will Smith was not the first target in his fatal shooting. It was his wife.

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Thomson held a press conference today to reveal that the alleged shooter in Saturday’s deadly altercation first shot at Will’s wife, Racquel Smith, NOLA.com reports.

According to Thomson, Cardell Hayes supposedly took aim at Racquel when she tried to defuse the situation between him and the New Orleans Saints player.

“(Racquel Smith) was actually telling the shooter, before the shooting occurred, ‘Leave us alone. Go back to your car. We have children. This is not worth this,’” Thomson told reporters. “And holding her hand up to him to ask him to stop.”

Racquel then led her husband back to their SUV. Hayes reportedly shot her in both legs when they got to the driver’s side of the vehicle. He then turned his gun on Will.

“Moments later, the killer unloads six to eight shots into Will’s back,” Thomson said. “The killer shot Will Smith into the back eight times, and there were at least 10 shots that we know were fired. At no time during this event did Will Smith either brandish or carry a firearm.”

Hayes insists that he “was not the aggressor” in Saturday’s shooting, and he’s claimed that Will threatned to get a gun during the fight. Thomson has refuted the accusation, stating that although Will had a legal license to carry a gun, he didn’t have time to get his weapon before he was gunned down.

Racquel, who is expected to survive, is currently being treated at University Medical Center in New Orleans.

Hayes has been charged with second-degree murder.

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