Broncos CB Darrent Williams killed in drive by shooting

[onpoint]

Full story here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2716385

Was watching ESPN a couple weeks ago when they had the disturbing story about athletes who carry guns and say that they feel it to be their only protection. Denver is by no means a dangerous town, but it goes to prove the axiom, "nothing good ever happens after midnight."

[KnoxVegas]

This is really sad. Joey Porter also got shot in Denver. I saw the same ESPN story and really agreed with Karl Malone. While he is an NRA member and former spokesman, he says that the athletes that carry do so more out of putting up a front, than truly needing to carry.

[jessexy]

the saddest part here is that this is a guy who was making it. grew up in the gutter of Ft. Worth, TX. had kids young. went to school and capitalized on his talent to stick in the NFL. taking care of his family.

then he gets into an argument with someone at a club and now he's dead. im tired of this same story. Tupac, Biggie, Ray Lewis, Joey Porter, Barret Robbins, Darrent Williams, Tank Johnson, even Maurice Clarett, the guy from U of Miami. its stupid. sorry for my rant.

the athletes need to grow up and stop getting into fights at clubs and the idiots carrying guns need to put them away and act like grown ups too.

[BYULAX31]

This is way different than all those cases you cited. This isn't a case of a gang rivalry (Biggie, Tu-Pac) Williams didn't have a gun, or a pull a knife. I don't understand how this is even in the same realm of Maurice Clarett. Darrent Williams was not the one who got in the argument, he was just a bystander in a group of friends. You can't blame any of this on Williams. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This is the best article I have read on the whole situation:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16430495/

But this was a group of young people out to celebrate the New Year. They did the sensible thing by hiring a limo to drive them. A member or members of the group had a difference of opinion with a person or persons in a club they had visited. Williams’s party left the club – another sensible decision. But they hadn’t gone far before the occupants of an SUV – people who hadn’t been introduced to sensible behavior; that sort of thing makes for lousy lyrics in the songs they listen to - that pulled up alongside them raked the limo with gunfire, wounding three people, Williams fatally.

Darrent was a good guy who did a ton of great stuff for the community in the short 2 years he spent in Denver. He will be missed. RIP D-Will.

[jessexy]

no, i wasnt talking about the two groups fighting and gang violence and such. i was making a reference to all of these events happening when they are hanging out late night at clubs with large groups of people and they get into these altercations.

im wondering if these incidents are causing others to alter their "partying" choices. it would change mine if i was a pro athlete making millions per year and there were haters that wanted to create conflict with me just because i played football or made music. i may go to different night spots or not stay out as late or something. its not the athlets fault, but are they targets nowadays?

those other incidents all have the same story about them and its scary how tragic it is.

[onpoint]

I would actually hope that this would cause everyone, not just millionaires and athletes, to re-examine their party choices. It doesn't take much for a situation to turn bad, even fatal. If you run your mouth nowadays, you run the risk of not only getting beat up, but getting killed. Something to think about, especially in our lacrosse culture where drinking and partying is often par for the course. Yes, I am from CSU and we have our own reputation, but this is something that we are absolutely stressing to our team and I would recommend that all of us take a close look at our habits.

[Adam Gamradt]

Doesn't sound like Williams was out to party. I think you can run in to a murderer at any time.

"Williams' uncle, Demond Williams, said the cornerback was at the club to promote a rap group for his fledgling independent recording label, Ryno Entertainment."

Personally, I don't question Williams actions. I question the actions of the person who fires a weapon at another human being.

OnPoint, while I agree with you in your concern for the party culture of our sport, but I'm not sure this case is a good example of partying getting you in trouble. At least as it relates to college lacrosse.

Jess, I disagree with you. This is nothing like Tupac, as he was shown on film kicking the hell out of someone just prior to his death.

Ray Lewis and his crew killed a guy.

Tank Johnson had enough ammunition and drugs to remake scareface, in his house, with his kids.

Barret Robinns is bipolar.

Maurice Clarett?

huh?

The only thing these guys have in common, are that they are in the public eye, and they are predominantly black.

Williams was murdered, plain and simple. It doesn't matter if he was at a club, or the grocery store. There are opportunities for conflict each and everyday.

Granted, the altercation his party got into is part of the story, so maybe they do bear some responsibility. But I place the blame for this squarely on the shoulders of the "man" who pulled the trigger.

Why anyone needs an automatic rifle for anything other than killing people is beyond me. NRA gun nuts be damned, you don't need a 30 shot clip, or hellfire triggers, for any reason other than murder.

The question that needs to be asked is why do American's shoot each other so often, not why do people like to go to nightclubs.

[jessexy]

Please dont interpret anything i said earlier about this being Darrent's fault. i was simply making a correlation to the violence and death's of these "celebrity's" and them being out at 2 in the morning with trouble looking for someting to get into.

I havent heard about any athlete getting targeted in a drive-by by someone after an argument at 11 am outside of the local post office/grocery store. Its not fair that a person cant go out with friends and celebrate just cause without being afraid of getting shot. its not fair that you cant go and work at a club (promoting a recording group) without fearing for your life afterwards. Eveyone should be able to do that whether you make millions to play football, rap, sell real estate, etc.

its not fair that you cant go have fun without the threat of getting shot or stabbed after the club closes. its not fair that you have to make a decision to stay home or go to the club cuz its too dangerous, in some places. thats all im saying.

I hope they find the guy and give him the death penalty cuz its stupid to kill someone cuz you got into a drunken argument with his buddy. (not saying this happened to Williams cuz i dont know the details). this is important cuz they've never found Tupac's killer, Biggie's killer, Joey Porter's shooter (in Denver), Julius Hodge's shooter (in Denver last April when he got shot 5 times).

what if its me or you that gets into an argument after the club with someone with a gun in the car?

[Jana]

Sounds like Darrent was making good decisions - he rented a limo on New Year's, so he and his friends were not driving drunk. There was an altercation, Darrent did not instigate it (another good decision), and they left the building and went to the limo to get away from it (yet another good decision).

Let's face it, we all like to celebrate on New Year's, many of us don't stay home. In America we celebrate entrepreneurship, and Darrent was reinvesting his earnings in a record label. Unfortunately the business attracts some unsavory characters, and on New Year's Eve - a murderer.

What a waste of a human being who showed so much potential, looks like they found the SUV used in the shooting, so hopefully they will find the killer next. I'll keep his family in my thoughts and prayers.

[sohotrightnow]

I hope they find the guy and give him the death penalty cuz its stupid to kill someone cuz you got into a drunken argument with his buddy.

I agree! Darrent will be resurrected from the dead and all will be well again if they put this person to death.

[Beta]

I hope they find the guy and give him the death penalty cuz its stupid to kill someone cuz you got into a drunken argument with his buddy.

I agree! Darrent will be resurrected from the dead and all will be well again if they put this person to death.

Then what do you suggest they do with the killer once that person is caught?

[sohotrightnow]

Gee, I don't know, put him in jail?

[Beta]

Gee, I don't know, put him in jail?

Sounds good, then he gets to experience what he took away from someone else.

[Adam Gamradt]

So the music business is dangerous, because it attracts unsavory characters? Or is it just rap music?

How about country?

The death penalty is stupid, it is not an effective deterrent, not to mention how fiscally irresponsible it is.

No one has ever been murdered outside a grocery store? Maybe true, but what University of Miami lineman Bryan Pata, who was murdered outside of his apartment building?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/ ... 1194.shtml

Or how about Baylor University basketball player Patrick Dennehy?

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/LAW/07/30/dennehy.autopsy/

Or how about the five Duquesne University players who were shot outside a school dance?

A friend of mine was pistol whipped recently, at a college party. Did he do something wrong by simply going to a party? Did he do something wrong when he tried to play peacemaker? No, the person who hit him was 100% responsible for his behavior.

Unsavory characters are potentially all around us, in traffic, at rap concerts, country music festivals, or even a vanagon full of hippies ready to tear you apart. Violence does not discriminate as far as where you hang out. Athletes are indeed targets for wanna be tough guys, and they are targets anywhere they go.

We don't value each other as human beings, which leads to this type of violence. The question is why we don't value each other as beings, and continue to treat each other as objects.

I'm also curious why is it so easy for a person to get an automatic rifle?

[Beta]

It's easy to get a gun in this country, legally and illegally. 80% of the guns used in violent crimes are purchased illegally. Nations exist with major gun restrictions like Great Britain...who for the past 5 years average roughly 2.5-3 million per year...against the US that averages 1.4 almost consistently...not bad considering we have 5 times their population.