A professional boxer in Maryland was shot and killed in what police believe may be a possible road rage incident. According to local news outlets, 30-year-old Danny Kelly Jr. was fatally shot in the presence of his girlfriend and his three children.
The boxer and his family were on the way to a Christmas Eve dinner on Friday (Dec. 24) when an unknown driver pulled up alongside his car and rang fire before breaking free. Emergency responders were called to the scene at 4:40 pm and arrived moments later to find Kelly “unresponsive in the driver’s seat.” He was rushed to a hospital, where he died of gunshot wounds; all other passengers in the vehicle were unharmed.
“No one else in Kelly’s SUV was injured,” the police said in a statement. “At this time, detectives are looking into whether this was possible road rage. Detectives are working on identifying the suspect and the suspect vehicle.” They are offering a $25,000 reward to anyone with information about the fatal shooting.
“You can stay anonymous,” Acting Major David Blazer of the Major Crimes Division said in the statement. “We are committed to providing answers to his family.”
Kelly fought in venues, including Maryland Live and Barclays Center, earning a record of 10-3-1 and nine knockouts in the professional circuit, per BoxRec.com. His loved ones remember him for being a family man.
“He was a wonderful dad,” his godmother, Bernadine Walker, told WUSA9. “He loved his babies. He loved his children.”
“The children loved him because he was playful,” Kelly’s grandmother added. “We loved him because he was always there for all of us.”
Retired professional boxer Luther F. Smith Jr. also mourned the loss of the 30-year-old boxer. “What I can tell you is that he was a family man just making it the best way he could,” he told WUSA9. “And he damn sure didn’t deserve to be cut short from life like this.”