“He’s innocent”: LSU star’s mom and Sheryl Swoopes’ brother express anguish over Kyren Lacy’s suicide over false accusation

LSU star Flau'jae Johnson’s mother, Lakia Brooks, and Sheryl Swoopes' brother expressed their anguish over Kyren Lacy’s suicide after his attorney, Matt Ory, released new evidence on Friday. Lacy had been accused of causing a deadly crash that killed 78-year-old Herman Hall in December 2024.

He was facing charges of negligent homicide, reckless operation, and felony hit-and-run before taking his own life in April 2025. On Friday, his attorney shared a new surveillance video, claiming that Lacy’s car was more than 70 yards away from the impact.

In light of this new information, Lakia Brooks and Brandon Swoopes shared messages on Instagram, grieving Lacy’s death. Brooks shared a graphic of the LSU WR, stating that he was innocent in a heartfelt message.

“Imagine your kid being convinced they did something terrible they didn’t really do. Then, because they’ve been raised to be a good person, they’re crushed by the grief, judgment, and slander they face,” Brooks wrote. “I can only imagine the anguish he felt, thinking he’d caused harm that he didn’t recall doing, because he actually didn’t do it at all. #HesInnocent.”

Brandon Swoopes also shared a graphic featuring Lacy on his Instagram story and gave the following reaction:

“😔😔😔.”

Sheryl Swoopes’ brother’s Instagram story

Apart from Brandon Swoopes and Lakia Brooks, fans all over social media are outraged by the Louisiana Police Department's handling of the situation. Lacy's trial in the case was scheduled to begin two days before he committed suicide in April.

After sharing new evidence from the crash, Lacy's attorney opined that the LSU WR was likely to be cleared of all charges.

"So sad man": Angel Reese grieved Kyren Lacy's death with a somber social media post

Shortly after news broke in April, confirming that Kyren Lacy had been found dead inside his home in Houston, Angel Reese sent out an emotional message on social media.

As an LSU alumna and one of the university's premier athletes, same as Lacy, Reese was familiar with the football star.

"Rip Kyren🥺🙏🏽so sad man," she wrote.

The Chicago Sky forward's post for Kyren Lacy led to much backlash for her on social media, as fans flooded the comments section, blaming the LSU star for the tragic crash in December.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Sameer Khan