A former Seattle Seahawks player shot down during a parking dispute, officials say

February 19, 2019, 15:53 ​​GMT

By David K. Li

A former Seattle Seahawks player was shot dead by his neighbor following a texting dispute, the authorities on the Denver suburbs said on Tuesday.

Anthony "T.J." Cunningham, 46, died of his wounds on Monday and his neighbor Marcus Johnson was detained following the deadly conflict Sunday in Aurora, Colorado, about 20 kilometers from Denver, officials said. ,

"It was a permanent conflict and they had a physical altercation early in the morning related to parking," Arapahoe County sheriff spokeswoman Deborah Sherman told NBC News Tuesday.

The men lived just steps from Eaglecrest High School, where they met Sunday morning in the campus alley.

"So, the discussion continued on the text and it was said:" Let's fix it at school, and one of them brought a gun, " Sherman said.

Cunningham and Johnson, 31, lived opposite one another, and the exact details of their parking conflict were unclear.

"It was crazy: they were talking to each other, so they know each other," Sherman observed.

A passerby called 911 around 9:20 am after he saw Cunningham, who was fatally injured, on the street, and Johnson even called shortly after, officials said.

"A few minutes after the first call, we received a second call from the suspect:" I just shot my neighbor. He assaulted me earlier in the day, "and then said he was returning home," Sherman said. "So we responded to the scene and to his [Johnson’s] at home and it's delivered. "

Johnson was initially booked for attempted murder, but the charge was reinforced after Cunningham's death Monday, according to prison records.

T.J. Cunningham was an integral part of the CU community and was reaching countless people beyond Boulder

"We were deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of T.J. Cunningham. He was a good family man and passionate about working with young people. " pic.twitter.com/LKsgivdQ81

– Colorado Buffaloes (@cubuffs) February 18, 2019

Cunningham played college football at nearby Colorado University. He was a security player and played a season, in 1996, for the Seahawks.

"We were deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of TJ Cunningham," said Rick George, UC Sports Activities Director, "he was a good family man and a passion for the job. with young people. "

Cunningham was a senior assistant at Hinkley High School, about 20 km from his death.

Johnson's appearance is scheduled for Tuesday morning. It was unclear when he hired a lawyer on Tuesday.