Former College Football Player Kyren Lacy Dies at 24, Days Before Court Case Tied to Deadly Car Crash

Kyren Lacy, a former wide receiver for Louisiana State University (LSU), has died. He was 24. 

Lacy was found dead on the evening of Saturday, April 12, in Houston, Texas, ESPN confirmed, citing an LSU official. WAFB and TMZ reported that the cause of death is suspected to be suicide. 

LSU issued a statement, saying, “We’re saddened to learn of the tragic passing of former LSU Football student-athlete Kyren Lacy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones, as well as his former teammates and coaches impacted by his passing.”

Lacy’s friend, Rontrell Sandolph, paid tribute to the late athlete on Instagram. "I’m so lost for words. I’m speechless," he wrote, sharing a carousel of photos and videos of Lacy. "I’m speechless. I went to sleep 4 times and woke up to see if that was a dream."

"All the talks, all the tears, everything, you know GOD had us," he continued, adding, "The dreams we had started to kick in, you making it to [the] NFL [and] me playing ball overseas. [Our] dreams [were] coming to reality."

Lacy’s agent Rocky Arceneaux and his defense attorney Matthew Ory did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Sunday, April 13.

Lacy's death comes as he was facing felony charges stemming from a Dec. 17 car crash that killed former marine Herman Hall. The football player was accused of causing the crash and then fleeing the scene without rendering aid or calling authorities. Two days after the crash, Lacy declared for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Louisiana State Police confirmed in January that the athlete "met with Troopers and was booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex on charges related to the arrest warrant in January." He was charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and reckless operation of a vehicle.

According to ESPN, Lacy was later released on bail. WAFB reported that a grand jury was expected to begin hearing evidence in the case on Monday, April 14.

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Lacy’s agent Arceneau shared a statement on X on Jan. 10, stating that the athlete was "fully cooperating with the authorities."

"We strongly believe that the facts will ultimately demonstrate the truth, but we respect the need for a full and thorough investigation," he continued.

"To anyone impacted, directly or indirectly, we want to assure that this matter is being taken very seriously and we are committed to resolving it responsibly," added Arceneau.

Lacy had 58 catches for 866 yards and nine touchdowns in the 2024 football season. He played two seasons at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette before transferring to LSU in 2022.