COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The mother of former South Carolina standout Kenny McKinley’s 1-year-old son says she never suspected the Denver Broncos receiver would take his own life.
Shayla Lites told The Associated Press on Thursday that she spoke with McKinley last week because their son Keon was going to visit his father in Denver.
The body of South Carolina’s career leader in catches and yards was found Monday near Denver. Authorities think McKinley shot himself in the head. A report says an investigator learned the second-year pro who played sparingly as a rookie had been depressed over a recent knee surgery.
The 25-year-old Lites is studying pharmacy at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. She says she plans to attend McKinley’s funeral Monday in Austel, Ga.
