Kyren Lacy, who played wide receiver for Louisiana State University, was found dead in Houston on Saturday. According to ESPN, the 24 years old's cause of death was not immediately available. His passing comes just days before a grand jury was set to began reviewing his hit-and-run case.
He had been accused of allegedly causing a car accident that led to the death of a 78-year-old man in December. Authorities also accused him of fleeing the scene without rendering aid or calling for help. Kyren Lacy turned himself into police custody in January, before getting out on $151,000 bail. His official charges were negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run with death, and reckless operation of a vehicle.
Who Was Kyren Lacy?
Former LSU receiver Kyren Lacy was found dead Saturday night in Houston, an LSU official confirmed today to ESPN.https://t.co/Jq8XbUtKiU
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 13, 2025
At the time of the accident, ESPN's Mel Kiper had Kyren Lacy ranked as the No. 6 receiver prospect in the NFL draft. Two days after the crash, Lacy announced his decision to declare for the NFL. "Playing in Death Valley, for the best fans in the country, was an experience I will never forget,” Lacy wrote in a statement. “Not too many people get to fulfill a dream like this. I am forever grateful for it. I want to express my appreciation to all my coaches, support staff, and trainers for helping develop me as a football player, but most importantly as a person." Following the departures of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. in 2024, Lacy had the best season of his career, last year. He finished with 58 catches for 866 yards and nine touchdowns.
Fans have been sharing tributes to Kyren Lacy and mourning his loss on social media throughout Sunday morning. "Black boys deserve to grow into Black men. To stumble, to laugh too loud, to not know better. The world is too eager to make them old, to make them hard. The news about Kyren Lacy is a quiet heartbreak," one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Another added: "That Kyren Lacy news another example of just how cruel & heartbreaking life can be. He was right there at his dream…. He was literally right there."
