Sports world reacts to Aaron Hernandez’s suicide in prison with shock and mixed grief

When the Massachusetts Department of Correction said Wednesday morning that former New England Patriots football player Aaron Hernandez, serving life without parole for murder, had been found hanging in his cell, athletes and sports commentators reacted with shock — and mixed feelings of grief.

A handful of NFL players, including free agent Da’Quan Bowers, responded on Twitter in disbelief after the news of Hernandez’ death spread early Wednesday morning. Another free agent, Xavier Nixon, who played on the University of Florida’s football team with Hernandez in the past, called the former teammate his “homie.”

Several commentators noted that Hernandez’s story was tragic — though people debated fiercely about how or for whom.

Hernandez had been acquitted last week in the two murders of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, the Boston Globe reported, though the case did not affect the ongoing life sentence he was already serving for the death of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd in 2013.

District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn called the news “a shocking and sad end to a very tragic series of events that has negatively impacted a number of families.”

William Kennedy, an attorney for Furtado's family, told the Globe that both Abreu and Furtado’s loved ones did not “take any joy in the loss of the Hernandez family.”

“The family has their own loss to concentrate on, the loss of these two young fellows,” Kennedy told the paper. “That's the way they are. They keep God in their hearts at all times.”

Investigators said they had not found a suicide note in Hernandez’s cell Wednesday.

Among those who refrained from commenting on his death Wednesday were some of Hernandez’s former teammates on the New England Patriots. The Globe reported that Patriots spokesman Stacey James said the football team was aware of Hernandez’s death but had no immediate statement.

James said that he did not “anticipate that we will be commenting today,” though the team is slated to appear at the White House today in acknowledgement of their Super Bowl win earlier this year.

This story was originally published April 19, 2017 at 8:53 AM with the headline "Sports world reacts to Aaron Hernandez’s suicide in prison with shock and mixed grief."