Police claimed on Sunday that Will Smith, a former player for the Ohio State Buckeyes and New Orleans Saints, was shot and killed in a fit of road rage by a man who had rear-ended his car.

Although the defensive captain was the focus of the NFL’s bounty investigation in 2012, Smith was adored by fans for his part in bringing a Super Bowl championship to New Orleans in 2009.

Following Smith’s death, celebrities in the sports world expressed their sorrow, ranging from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to NBA player LeBron James. James wrote, “So sad, man,” on Twitter. What a nice guy he was!”

There was no evidence that the shooting was caused by anything other than the vehicle accident, nor that Smith, 34, knew Cordell Hayes, 28, prior to the fatal encounter. Following the shooting, Hayes waited for the police to arrive before being taken into custody on a charge of second-degree murder. Citing the ongoing investigation, Police Superintendent Michael Harrison would not comment on Hayes’ claim of self-defense.

Hayes’ bond was set by a magistrate at $1 million on Sunday night.

Harrison stated that just hours prior to the Saturday night collision, the former defensive end had dinner with a police officer whom Hayes had previously sued after Hayes’ father was shot and killed by police in 2005. It was unclear, though, if that had any bearing on the altercation.

About 11:30 p.m. on Saturday in the exclusive Lower Garden District, Hayes’ Humvee H2 rear-ended Smith’s Mercedes G63 and forced it into a Chevrolet Impala driven by two of Smith’s acquaintances. After an argument, Hayes shot Smith and Smith’s wife, Racquel, according to the authorities. She was brought to a hospital after suffering a leg wound.

In a statement, the Smith family expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of support but asked for privacy during their time of loss for a “devoted husband, father, and friend.” Smith, Will and Racquel are parents of three kids.

The pair spent the hours before shooting at the French Quarter festival, which showcases regional cuisine and music. On Twitter and Instagram, he shared a picture of him and his spouse along with the message, “Having a blast at the #fqf2016 @ French Quarter Fest.”

John Fuller, the defense counsel, requested a low bond, pointing out that Hayes runs a towing company, is a father to a 5-year-old child, and had waited for police.

Judge Brigid Collins acknowledged that and remarked, “I have another gentleman who was shot in the rear.”

Hayes entered a guilty plea to one count of each of possessing an illegal weapon and drug paraphernalia in 2014, according to online court documents.

After the hearing on Sunday, Fuller stated that the gun he was carrying was lawful and that the police had not charged him with possessing a firearm. According to police spokesperson Tyler Gamble, the gun hasn’t been reported stolen, but it will take more time to determine its true history.

According to Fuller, Hayes is not guilty of murder. He declared, “The story that’s being put out there is different from the story that’s genuine.”

According to Fuller, Hayes was pursuing a hit-and-run driver who had rear-ended Smith’s Humvee and fled when he crashed into the back of Smith’s Mercedes. Fuller declined to comment on whether Hayes recognized the Mercedes as that car.

After being struck, Hayes dialed 911 and persuaded a witness who was about to leave to stay and speak with the police, according to Fuller. In an email sent Sunday night to The Associated Press, Gamble stated that he did not currently have any information about either the witness or the 911 call.

After his father was slain by police in 2005, Hayes filed a lawsuit against the New Orleans Police Department and six of its officers. According to police spokesman Tyler Gamble, William Ceravolo, the former cop who had dinner with Smith, was not present when the crash occurred.

2011 saw the police settle the claim. Ike Spears, the attorney who defended Hayes in that lawsuit, stated that the settlement is private.

Smith, a Queens, New York native, participated in the 2002 Ohio State national championship squad and earned a criminology degree in 2005.

According to a statement from the university, Ohio State Sports has lost one of its “greatest” players—someone who commanded a defensive line that helped the team win the championship.

With Smith, New Orleans selected him in the first round of the 2004 draft. When the Saints won their only Super Bowl in 2009, he led the team with a career-high 13 sacks. Smith is fourth in Saints history with 67 1/2 career sacks.

In 2012, he participated in his final NFL regular-season game. A knee injury pushed him onto injured reserve during the 2013 preseason. Despite being signed by New England in the 2014 offseason, he was not included in the Patriots’ regular-season roster.

For the majority of his career, Smith served as the defensive captain, but it was also because of this leadership position that the NFL’s bounty investigation focused on him in 2012. The league determined that Smith, along with fellow defensive captain Jonathan Vilma, assisted in managing a locker-room pool wherein severe and potentially harmful hits were rewarded with cash bonuses.

While Saints coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 season, Smith and three other players successfully appealed their initial four-game punishments and were never forced to miss any games.

But in 2008, it was discovered that Smith and a number of other NFL players had used a weight-loss supplement called StarCaps, which contained a diuretic that the league had outlawed because it was known to conceal the use of steroids. This led to Smith’s two-game suspension the previous year. Following several seasons of legal challenges, that suspension was put into effect.

Away from the field, Smith actively participated in efforts to better the lives of kids by founding the Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way foundation. Its declared goals are to uplift, inform, and give women and children chances.

Tom Benson, the owner of the Saints, revealed in a statement that the Saints family is in pain and heartbroken after losing a member far too early.