The story involving the shooting death of former Saints Defensive End Will Smith just keeps adding new twists.
New surveillance video obtained by FOX 8 shows what appears to be a hit-and-run by Smith’s car on another car that looks like the one owned by Cardell Hayes, the man arrested for Smith’s murder.
FOX 8 has learned that former Saints player Will Smith and his wife, Racquel, ate at a restaurant on Magazine Street and left just before 11:30 Saturday night. And with that information, we learned what may have happened from the time Smith left the restaurant until his death.
Less than 10 minutes after he left the restaurant, police say Smith encountered his accused killer, Cardelle Hayes. From the beginning, Hayes’ acting attorney, John Fuller, claimed it’s too early to jump to conclusions.
“Prior to the actions that lead to Mr. Smith’s death, my client was involved in a hit and run,” Fuller said. “Someone hit him and failed to pull over. My client trailed behind this person in an effort to get their license plate number. My client also called 911.”
To check Fuller’s account, we backtracked from the shooting scene to the restaurant and found surveillance video from three different businesses showing what appears to be a Hummer and a Mercedes SUV driving along Magazine Street. Police say those vehicles match the descriptions of the Hummer driven by Hayes and the Mercedes driven by Smith.
The location of the video, FOX 8 reports, is only a block-and-a-half from where Smith was killed and his wife suffered two gunshot wounds to her leg.
Whether this traffic altercation was the main motive for the shooting or just another piece of the puzzle has yet to be determined.
Hayes has been charged with second-degree murder with New Orleans police saying that another charge is forthcoming for the shooting of Will Smith’s wife Racquel.
[FOX 8]