Sean Taylor Shot At His Florida Home

Washington Redskins star safety Sean Taylor was in critical condition Monday after he was shot during what police are investigating as a possible armed robbery at his home.

The 24-year-old player was in the intensive care unit following several hours of surgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital, although doctors were encouraged late in the day when Taylor responded to simple commands.

"He was responsive to the doctor's request to squeeze his hand and show facial expression, and so the doctors were very happy about that," Redskins vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato said. "They told us to hope for a miracle, and I think the positive news we got was extremely good news."

Taylor lost a "significant" amount of blood because the bullet damaged his femoral artery, and doctors were worried about blood flow to the brain, according to family friend Richard Sharpstein, his former lawyer.

"The doctors are being very guarded about their prognosis," said Sharpstein, who, like Cerrato, was at the hospital with the player's family and friends. "They're being a little bit skeptical about either whether he might make it or whether it might cause some permanent brain injury."

Taylor has had problems on and off the field, and two years ago was accused of brandishing a gun. The shooting came eight days after another invasion was reported at his home. According to police records, someone pried open a front window, rifled through drawers and left a kitchen knife on a bed.

"They're really sifting through that incident and today's incident," Miami-Dade Police Detective Mario Rachid said, "to see if there's any correlation."

Officers were sent to Taylor's home at about 1:45 a.m. Monday after his girlfriend called 911 and said he was shot in his lower body, Miami-Dade Police Lt. Nancy Perez said. Taylor had missed the last two games because of a knee injury and was at home recuperating. He was airlifted to the hospital.

Investigators were still interviewing the girlfriend and other relatives in the home, Perez said. No arrests had been made.

"It could have been a possible burglary; it could have been a possible robbery," Perez said. "It has not been confirmed as yet."

Sharpstein said Taylor's girlfriend told him the couple was awakened by loud noises, and Taylor grabbed a machete he keeps in the bedroom for protection. Someone then broke through the bedroom door and fired two shots, one missing and one hitting Taylor, the lawyer said.

"It was clearly a burglary, an armed burglary," Sharpstein said, adding nothing appeared to have been stolen.

The shooting happened at the pale yellow house Taylor bought two years ago in the Miami suburb of Palmetto Bay. Taylor is in his fourth season with the Redskins after playing at the University of Miami, where he was an All-American in 2003. Despite his injury, he is tied for the NFC lead with five interceptions.

Redskins owner Dan Snyder arrived in Miami on his private plane with running back Clinton Portis, Cerrato and trainer Bubba Tyer.

Taylor called coach Joe Gibbs on Nov. 19 to let him know he'd miss that morning's regular team meeting because he was in Florida dealing with the first break-in on Nov. 17.

"I said, 'I understand that.' I said, 'Take care of your house and everything you have to there,"' Gibbs recalled.

Taylor was at team headquarters Saturday to treat his knee, Gibbs said, adding he wasn't aware the player then returned to Florida.

A group of Taylor's fans planned a two-hour vigil Monday evening outside Redskins Park in Ashburn, Va.

"This is not just a member of the Washington Redskins," fellow safety Pierson Prioleau said. "But we're talking about a dad, a brother, a friend of ours, and that's where we're at with this right now."

Gibbs was joined by the team chaplain at the Redskins' usual Monday meeting. A small group of players held a separate prayer gathering.

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