Aaron Hernandez Investigated for 2007 Shooting Incident While a University of Florida Freshman
ByThe Massachusetts State Police, in coordination with the Gainesville Police, are investigating Aaron Hernandez's role in a 2007 Florida shooting incident, ESPN reported.
In 2007, Hernandez, 17 at the time was a freshman at the University of Florida and an eyewitness described a man resembling the Gator football player in a shooting incident that left two wounded.
Prosecutors said Hernandez orchestrated and performed the execution-style murder of 27-year-old semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. Hernandez is also being investigated for his role in a 2012 Boston double-homicide case.
ESPN's "Outside the Lines" obtained the police report from the 2007 incident on a public records request, which police called an error by the clerk. The police released a statement saying the report is incomplete because the investigation is still classified as an open case.
The report details of an incident on the night of Sept. 30, 2007 involving what many described to be a black male as the lone shooter. At a traffic light, three men in a car were fired upon. Corey Smith, 28 at the time, was sitting in the front passenger seat and was shot in the back of the head. Justin Glass, 19 at the time, was driving and suffered a gunshot wound to his arm, while Randall Cason, 20 at the time, in the backseat behind Smith, went unharmed.
Cason told police at the time that there were two suspects.
Cason said the man shooting was either Hawaiian or Hispanic and was tall - either six-foot-three or six-foot-four - and had a muscular build, weighed about 230-240 pounds and had a lot of tattoos. Cason identified the black male as Reggie Nelson, who was a rookie safety for the Jacksonville Jaguars at the time.
"As they were waiting for the light to change, the Hawaiian football player and Reggie Nelson walked up to their car on the right side," according to the police report, which cited what Cason told detectives. "Then without saying a work [sic], the Hawaiian pointed a small handgun in the front right window and fired five quick shots. Cason saw Smith slump over with blood coming out of the back of the head, at which time the Hawaiian and Nelson took off running towards McDonald's."
Hernandez is currently being held without bail in Massachusetts after being charged with first-degree murder on June 26.