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Football / Nashville police: Former QB McNair's death was a homicide
By The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair's shooting death was a homicide, police said yesterday, but authorities stopped short of saying it was a murder-suicide committed by the 20-year-old girlfriend found dead by his side. McNair, 36, was shot four times, twice in the head, by a semiautomatic pistol, Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said.

The woman, Sahel Kazemi, was killed by a single gunshot wound and the pistol was found under her body, Aaron said.
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Aaron said the two had been in a "dating relationship for the past several months." Asked if the deaths could have been caused by a lover's quarrel, Aaron said, "That's a very important part of the investigation as we work to ultimately classify Miss Kazemi's death." Police said they need to do more interviews with friends of Kazemi and McNair before they rule on whether her death was a suicide, Aaron said.

McNair, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who was married with four children, was found Saturday with multiple gunshot wounds on a sofa in his living room.

Police do not believe McNair's wife was involved, Aaron said. Mechelle McNair, mother of two of his four sons, was expected to collect her husband's belongings from authorities. Funeral arrangements were not expected to be finalized until this afternoon at the earliest.

"She's still very upset, very distraught," agent Bus Cook said. McNair led the famous Tennessee Titans' drive that came a yard short of forcing overtime in the 2000 Super Bowl. He retired last year. "On the field, there isn't a player that was as tough as him," the Ravens' Derrick Mason said.

Friends declined to describe the relationship between McNair and Kazemi, who was a waitress at a restaurant the quarterback and his family frequented. Police only described her as a "friend." But a neighbor saw McNair at Kazemi's apartment so often - two to three times a week - he thought McNair had moved in. McNair never tried to hide his presence but kept to himself. Neighbor Reagan Howard said Kazemi often was dropped off in the early morning hours by a limousine and upgraded recently from her Kia to a Cadillac Escalade. "It was pretty obvious that she was taken with him," Howard said.

McNair and Kazemi had been together just two days earlier, when she was pulled over driving a 2007 Escalade registered to her and McNair. She was arrested on a DUI charge, and he was allowed to leave in a taxi.

The bodies were discovered by McNair's longtime friend, Wayne Neeley, who rents the condo in the upscale Rutledge Hill neighborhood with McNair. Neeley then called Robert Gaddy, who had been friends with McNair since they played at Alcorn State. Gaddy alerted authorities.

Police said a witness saw McNair arrive at the condo between 1:30 and 2:00 A.M. Saturday and that Kazemi's vehicle was already there. The condominium is located within walking distance of an area filled with restaurants and nightspots, a few blocks from the Cumberland River and within view of the Titans' stadium.

Autopsies were conducted yesterday with results expected later in the day. Fred McNair, Steve McNair's oldest brother, said some family members would likely travel to Nashville today to consult with Mechelle. "It's still kind of hard to believe," Fred McNair said. "He was the greatest person in the world. He gave back to the community. He loved kids and he wanted to be a role model to kids."

McNair and his wife split their time between Nashville and their farm in Mount Olive, Miss., according to a statement from the Titans.

In June, McNair opened a restaurant near the Tennessee State University campus. It was closed Saturday evening, but had become a small memorial, where flowers, candles and notes had been placed outside the door.

His most notable moment came in the 2000 Super Bowl. With the Titans trailing by seven, he led the team 87 yards in the final minute and 48 seconds, only to come up a yard short of a touchdown. Kevin Dyson caught his 9-yard pass, but was tackled at the 1-yard line by the Rams' Mike Jones. McNair accounted for all of Tennessee's yards in that drive, throwing for 48 yards and rushing for 14. The rest of the yardage came on penalties against the Rams. Before that, he brought the Titans back from a 16-0 deficit to tie the game.

"If you were going to draw a football player, the physical part, the mental part, everything about being a professional, he is your guy," former Ravens and Titans teammate Samari Rolle said. "I can't even wrap my arms around it."

(See IHT for other highlights of McNair's career)
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