Details emerge on Joe McKnight shooting

New information about the man identified as the shooter in the death of football player Joe McKnight was released Friday night, indicating the man Ronald Gasser was involved in an altercation 10 years ago that centred on an argument about driving.

The additional information came after officials noted, earlier in the day, that McKnight had been shot three times in the hand, shoulder and chest by Gasser on Thursday afternoon. They noted that the shooter was not standing over McKnight.

The 28-year-old CFL and NFL running back died at the scene following what was described as a traffic argument at an intersection in a suburb of New Orleans.

• Roughrider Joe McKnight shot to death in Louisiana

Authorities said Gasser, 54, was released from custody overnight. While he is not currently facing charges, they said the case was still under investigation.

Prior arrest of Gasser

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand, in a news release Friday night, said Gasserwas involved in an incident on Feb. 20, 2006, around 3:30 p.m. CST that began in New Orleans and ended at a service station at the intersection of Holmes Blvd. and Berhman Hwy., in Terrytown.

That intersection is the same location where McKnight was shot Thursday afternoon, around 3 p.m.

In the 2006 case, Normand said a motorist reported to police that he had observed unsafe moves by a man, later identified as Gasser, driving a red truck. The alarmed motorist also called a phone number on the truck, inviting comment on safe driving, and spoke to the driver who turned out to be Gasser.

"A verbal altercation began between the victim and Gasser began at that time," Normand said. "Once the victim reached the service station, he pulled in to begin refuelling his vehicle. It was at that time Gasser, who had followed him into the station, confronted him and began to strike him with a closed fist several times."

Normand said a second 911 call from the victim led police to investigate further and eventually Gasser was charged with a minor offence. The sheriff said the charge was later dismissed and he was looking into the reasons behind that.

Details on Thursday shooting

Information about Thursday's shooting involving Gasser and McKnight was released by Normand and other local officials, including the coroner's office.

According to the coroner there was one gunshot wound to McKnight's left hand. A second bullet hit McKnight in the right shoulder. A third hithis chest and exited through his lower back.

Coroner Gerry Cvitanovich, who was present during the autopsy, was adamant that the wounds were not consistent withbeing shot from aboveor while on the ground.

Officials respond to reports

The observation about how McKnight was not shot from above was also repeated by the local sheriff.

"Mr. Gasser did not stand over Mr. McKnight and fire shots into him," Sheriff Normand told reporters at a Friday morning news conference. "Mr. Gasser was in his vehicle when he fired three shots."

Normand was responding to various media reports, which included comments from people about what may have transpired Thursday afternoon in Terrytown, La.

Normand also spoke about his decision to release Gasser, noting the state has certain "statutes" that provide a defence to certain crimes, but did not go into further detail.

"The easiest thing for me would have been 'Book him, Danno.' Right?" Normand said, referring to the police saying made popular on Hawaii Five-0.But Normand urged caution.

"Mr. Gasser is not going anywhere. He has been completely co-operative with us in every request we have made," he said. "We will do a very thorough and deliberate investigation."

Normand didn't go into details from the investigation, saying he didn't want to taint any prospective witnesses that might still come forward.

"We're not going to reveal at this point in time any of the details of this investigation," Normand said. "We just finished the autopsy roughly two hours ago, which is a very important portion of the investigation, and it would be completely premature in this kind of case to reveal anything prior to that."

Normand said the altercation that ended with McKnight's death started on a nearby bridge possibly when one of the two men cut the other off and then proceeded into streets of the New Orleans suburb. He didn't say which driver cut off the other.

Authorities said Gasser shot McKnight three times from inside his car with a semi-automatic handgun while McKnight was standing outside. Witnesses reported the two had been in a heated argument, the sheriff said.

A grandmother of McKnight said family members were still seeking information on his death.

Barbara Franklin said Friday that relatives are "trying to find out our own selves" more about what happened.

She added they were aware, through news reports, that the man who shot McKnight had been released.

"He might be released now, but God is going to bring about justice in it," Franklin said of Gasser's release.

During the Friday media conference, local authorities said that no video associated with the incident had surfaced.

Sheriff Normand also said his investigators had not corroborated, from any witnesses, that McKnight had offered an apology to Gasser during the traffic argument.

"We've had as many as 30 to 40 officers working this investigation through the night," he added. "And we will continue to work."

High school coach remembers McKnight's talent

In New Orleans, McKnight's coach J.T. Curtis recalled how the youngster developed into an accomplished athlete.

"Football, basketball. He ran track. [He] was just an outstanding athlete all around," Curtis said Friday. "He had a tremendous drive and a tremendous competitive spirit."

Curtis also remembered McKnight, as a teenager, could be spirited.

"He had his moments, in time. He would be challenging but what 16, 17-year-old isn't?" he said. "He had a great smile and he always took time [for others]."

Team in shock

"It's shocking. It's sad. It's devastating," Craig Reynolds, president and CEO of the Roughriders, said Friday in Regina. McKnight had landed in the city as a running back in September after a stint with the Edmonton Eskimos.

"You just feel for Joe and his family. He's got a young son."

Reynolds said the organization was initially in disbelief when the news emerged Thursday afternoon. He said they confirmed that McKnight was dead through a contact in New Orleans.

He added that many players live elsewhere during the off-season.

"The players are dispersed everywhere so it's very difficult and that's why we want to do everything we possibly can to support the players," he said.

Head coach Chris Jones spoke to reporters from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and said McKnight's death has shaken the team.

"We're very close as a team," Jones said. "It's just a tragic loss and, you know, I tried to wake up this morning hoping that maybe I dreamed it but it wasn't."

Jones described the circumstances of McKnight's death as "unsettling".

"I want our players to feel safe about where they live," he said. "A lot of our players do come from areas that are crime-ridden and tough spots."

Even though McKnight joined the Riders late in the season, Reynolds said he quickly formed tight bonds with other players.

"He was a very humble guy. He was extremely well liked," he said.

Reynolds noted McKnight had strong performances on the field for the Riders and had a bright future.

"He had all the potential in the world," Reynolds said.

Reynolds said the club will look for a way to honour McKnight in some form, in the future.

McKnight finished the 2016 CFL season with 228 rushing yards and 80 receiving yards over five games with Edmonton and Saskatchewan. He played three seasons for the New York Jets and one with the Kansas City Chiefs before moving to the CFL.

Shot in Terrytown

The shooting happened at about 3 p.m. CST Thursday in Terrytown, a suburb of New Orleans, just across the Mississippi River.

McKnight is the second former NFL player this year to die in the New Orleans area as a result of a possible road rage incident.

Former New Orleans Saints player Will Smith was killed in April in a shooting that was sparked by a traffic altercation.

It is also the second violent death this year involving a CFL player. In September, Calgary Stampeder Mylan Hicks died following an early-morning shooting outside a Calgary nightclub.

A 19-year-old man is facing a murder chargein that case.