Steve McNair Tragedy Confirmed Murder-Suicide

(Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

Nashville Police confirmed that Steve McNair was killed by his girlfriend Sahel Kazemi in a murder-suicide.

McNair suffered multiple gunshot wounds, apparently while sleeping, in the head and chest. Kazemi then turned the gun on herself, shooting herself in the head.

Kazemi, 20, is portrayed as a young woman with an increasing load of financial problems that culminated with her alleged discovery that McNair was seeing yet another woman in addition to his wife, Mechelle McNair.

Mechelle told investigators she has no idea who Kazemi is.

According to the police investigation, sometime after 1:45 a.m. on July 4, the despondent girlfriend of McNair slipped next to him as he slept on the couch in a downtown condominium he rented. She placed a 9mm handgun near his left temple and pulled the trigger with both hands.

She then shot him twice in the chest before moving to his right temple, shooting him for the fourth and final time.

She then took care so she would tumble in the quarterback's lap after killing herself. She instead slumped toward his feet, with the gun underneath her.

Investigators determined that McNair never defended himself. He never put his hands up in any way to shield his body, nor did he have any gunshot residue on his hands.

Kazemi did.

Days before the tragedy, Kazemi was arrested and charged with driving under the influence in downtown Nashville. She and McNair were in the Escalade he bought for her when she was arrested. McNair made her bond.

Hours later, around 5 p.m., Kazemi left work to buy a $100 pistol from her friend. She returned to work two hours later and was sent home.

The next day, she told a co-worker she "should just end it." Her words were loaded with more than anyone could ever have known.

McNair, an undoubted inspiration to the Tennesee Titans organization and the entire city of Nashville, is survived by his wife and four children.

Here is my hope that we remember McNair for not how he tragically passed, but for the great NFL player he was. My heart goes out to the McNair family.

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