Washington Redskins Safety Taylor Murdered at Age 24

This morning, the sports world mourns the death of Redskins safety Sean Taylor, who died from injuries suffered from a gunshot to the leg, severing his femoral artery. He was 24. Washington D.C. Fox Sports correspondent and broadcaster Steve Czaban should have more on his radio show (6-9 a.m.), and on his website.

According to reports, Taylor was shot by burglars who broke into his home while he and his family slept. Taylor tried to defend them, but the burglars shot him and fled.

From the article:

“Miami-Dade Police were investigating the attack, which came just eight days after an intruder was reported at Taylor’s home. Officers were dispatched about 1:45 a.m. Monday after Taylor’s girlfriend called 911. Taylor was airlifted to the hospital.

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, Sharpstein said. Taylor’s 1-year-old daughter, Jackie, was also in the house at the time, but neither she nor Taylor’s girlfriend were injured.

“It could have been a possible burglary; it could have been a possible robbery,” Miami-Dade Police Lt. Nancy Perez said. “It has not been confirmed as yet.”

Taylor was shot at the pale yellow house he bought two years ago in the Miami suburb of Palmetto Bay. It came about a week after someone pried open a front window, rifled through drawers and left a kitchen knife on a bed at Taylor’s home, according to police.

“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.”

Please pray for Sean’s soul, for his wife and children and extended family and all those touched by the terrible loss and senseless tragedy. Also pray that the scoundrels who did this are brought to justice and punished severely. When you can’t sleep safely in your own home, things have deteriorated to an unacceptable level.  Why didn’t he have a burglar alarm on the house?  Especially after the earlier break-in?  My family and I NEVER go to sleep without arming the alarm and motion sensors.  Everyone who can, should do the same…and hug your family extra hard tonight.  We’re all so close.  This could have been any one of us.  It’s time to increase the penalties for robbery and burglary because evidently 10-12 isn’t enough of a deterrent.