Police in New Orleans have officially charged Cardell Hayes, 38, with second degree murder in the shooting death of Proctor High School graduate and former NFL star Will Smith.  As details are being released today, a connection between Smith and the alleged shooter seems to be evident, according to a report on NOLA.com.

Police say Hayes, a former football prospect playing at a prep school, drove into the back of Smith's vehicle on Saturday night and the fender bender led to a verbal dispute between the two men.  Witnesses say while Smith was in his vehicle, Hayes allegedly displayed a handgun and began firing, fatally striking Smith and injuring his wife, Raquel. Smith was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say Hayes stayed at the scene until police arrived and arrested him.

It is the back story of Cardell Hayes that uncovers a possible connection. According to NOLA.com, Smith his wife and former NFL running back Pierre Thomas were having dinner with former police Lt. William Ceravolo earlier on Saturday evening.  Ceravolo, before his retirement from the police department, was involved in a police shooting that led to the death of Hayes' father, Anthony Hayes. According to court papers, police said that during an incident at a convenience store on De 26, 2005, the elder Hayes was charging Ceravolo with a small knife as they were trying to arrest him, when police opened fire and killed him. The newspaper reports that Cardell Hayes and his siblings received a settlement from the City of New Orleans after a lawsuit was filed. Ceravolo and his fellow officers were named in the suit. During a police press conference on Sunday, they said they are still searching for a motive.

Learn more about Cardell Hayes here.

Watch the official New Orleans Police Department press conference on Sunday here.

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