Pro boxer Danny Kelly Jr. shot to death Christmas Eve in apparent road rage incident
Professional boxer Danny Kelly, Jr., 30, was shot to death as he drove his family on Christmas Eve on a Maryland road in what police are investigating as a possible road rage incident.
Kelly was en route to a holiday dinner with his girlfriend and his three children, traveling north in Prince George’s County, when someone rolled up next to their car, opened fire and drove away, police said.
They are asking anyone with information to come forward, backed with a $25,000 reward.
Officers responded to a 4:40 call on Christmas Eve and “discovered Kelly unresponsive in the driver’s seat of an SUV suffering from gunshot wounds,” police said in a statement. “He was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital.”
Police are investigating it as a possible road rage incident, but there are no suspects and they don’t know a motive for sure.
“Preliminarily, it appears the suspect’s vehicle pulled up next to Kelly’s SUV and someone inside opened fire,” police said. “No one else in Kelly’s SUV was injured. At this time, detectives are looking into whether this was possible road rage. Detectives are working on identifying the suspect and the suspect vehicle.”
Kelly’s bereft family and friends are left wondering what would motivate someone to do such a thing.
“This is an absolutely heartbreaking loss for Mr. Kelly’s family and friends,” police said. “He is not home with his loved ones today on Christmas who are now mourning his loss instead of celebrating the holiday.”
Police noted that the thoroughfare, St. Barnabas Road, is well traveled and urged any other drivers who may have seen something or might have information, to call.
“You can stay anonymous,” Acting Major David Blazer of the Major Crimes Division said in the police statement. “We are committed to providing answers to his family.”
His death has cut a swath through the ranks of loving friends and family, with tributes pouring in from those in the boxing world as well as his relatives.
The attack occurred right in front of his three children, ages 4, 7 and 9, WUSA-TV reported.
“He was a wonderful dad,” his godmother, Bernadine Walker, told WUSA. “He loved his babies. He loved his children.”
“The children loved him because he was playful,” his grandmother, who wasn’t named, told WUSA. “We loved him because he was always there for all of us.”
Kelly had fought professionally in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and Maryland Live, WUSA said. His 10-3-1 record on the professional circuit included nine knockouts, the outlet said, citing BoxRec.com.
“What I can tell you is that he was a family man just making it the best way he could,” retired pro fighter Luther F. Smith Jr. told WUSA. “And he damn sure didn’t deserve to be cut short from life like this.”
