It was supposed to be a celebratory time for Jahreau Shepherd, but it ended up being the day he took his final breath. The British MMA fighter known as "The Nightmare" was reportedly celebrating his 30th birthday on Saturday evening at a backyard BBQ complete with his friends and family. Shepherd's mother was at the event along with children, so this wasn't meant to be a place where any violent altercations took place.
The exact circumstances surrounding Jahreau Shepherd's death are unclear, but what is known is that someone stabbed him. Emergency responders arrived and attempted to save his life but the fighter reportedly died at the scene with his mother pleading for his life.
“He lived and breathed fighting,” Tanisha Shepherd, Jahreau's cousin, said. “He was so looking forward to the gym opening again after the lockdown and was lining up a fight. He had everything to live for. He helped keep the young people on the straight and narrow and was a role model.”
Shortly after Jahreau's incident, a 26-year-old reportedly checked himself into a nearby hospital with stab wounds, but it isn't clear if the two cases are related. The pro-MMA fighter's death is being treated as a murder and police are hoping that witnesses will help identify the killer.
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