Chiefs fans tailgate, mourn player murder-suicide

ASSOCIATED PRESS

A Kansas City Chiefs fan holds a sign during the first half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Fans grilled, played catch and enjoyed beverages on an unseasonably warm and sunny day outside Arrowhead Stadium, a little more than 24 hours after a Chiefs player killed himself nearby after shooting his girlfriend.

The festive atmosphere masked some of the pain Chiefs fans felt after hearing that linebacker Jovan Belcher had killed 22-year-old Kasandra M. Perkins then driven to the team practice facility and turned the gun on himself, orphaning the couple's infant daughter.

Coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli tried to stop Belcher, but instead watched as he shot himself in the head.

Before kickoff, the crowd was asked to observe a moment of silence for victims of domestic violence and their families. There was no mention of Belcher.