Former NFL player Zurlon Tipton died on Tuesday, June 28 after accidentally shooting himself.
The 26-year old was pulling into a service bay at Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership in Roseville, Michigan when disaster struck.
The late star was reaching into a duffel bag that had two guns.
One of these weapons accidentally went off and shot him in the stomach. The incident occurred at 9:30 am.
The injuries weren’t thought to be fatal at the time, but Tipton tragically passed away at hospital.
Local news WJBK reported that Tipton was talking at the scene, so it appears as if internal injuries that were to blame for the end of his life.
The Wayne County Medical Examiner confirmed the victim’s identity and has an autopsy scheduled for Wednesday, June 29.
“A gentleman … brought a vehicle into our service department between 9 and 9:30 this morning,” Mark DeMara, general manager of the dealership, told The Detroit News.
“He had a transmission leak in his vehicle. At some point he reached into a duffel bag that was on the passenger seat of his vehicle and the pistol that was in there deployed and shot the gentleman in the abdomen.”
Tipton was waived at the end of the last NFL season; he played in 16 games over the past two years.
Our thoughts are with Zurlon’s family and friends at this difficult time.
