smith, my client wasn't friends or associates with mr. smith, my client never worked security for the new orleans saints. >> reporter: hayes' attorney john fuller offered a new theory, giving the public a peek at the defense strategy. >> multiple witnesses have told me that someone besides my client and his friend were behaving in a threatening nature out there on that night. and the police department knows this. >> are you saying your client felt threatened by the presence something smith had or someone in his party had? >> everybody out there felt threatened. >> by smith? >> by someone other than mr. hayes. this was not some situation where my client hunted down mr. smith. >> reporter: fuller also claiming hayes himself had been the victim of a hit and run moments earlier and was pursuing that driver when he collided with smith. the police did not address the theory saying only this -- >> at this time, we do not have any information to suggest that they knew one another or that this was anything other than an accident that turned into a

smith? mr. smith: mr. chief justice and may it please the court, there's no basis for concluding that the minor population variances in the arizona map violate the equal protection clause. justice scalia: do you accept the fact -- speaking of accepting fact findings, do you accept the fact finding that at least part of the motive was partisan? mr. smith: i don't think that's a fair characterization of what the district court found, your honor. justice scalia: oh really, why? mr. smith: the district court found the predominant motive -- is said there may have been two of the five commissioners who as to one district, district eight, had some mixed motives in urging that that district be made more competitive, but did not find the commission as a whole acted even in that one instance with partisan motivations, and that district is not one of the ones that's significantly underpopulated. the decision to move population around to make that district somewhat more competitive, even if it was motivated by partisa

hayes pulls over and then smith pulls around. hayes follows smith. they say hayes rear ended smith and they exchanged words, hayes pulled out a gun, shoots smith and wounds his wife. a former teammate and friend of smiths says the shooting was a cowardly act. >> when i came out yesterday and called him a coward, i received death threats from guys in new orleans. from his relatives. i'm thinking to myself, whoa, you know, what do you guys want from me? i'm only here to speak the truth. that's it. i'm not trying to -- i'm he not trying to -- i'm not trying to steal anybody's life. i'm trying to give everybody the truth though. >> hayes appeared in court on monday. he's been charged with second degree murder. his bail has been set at $1 million. he has been appointed a new attorney. meanwhile, will smith's former coach, sean payton, is speaking out against gun violence saying in an interview, i find myself leaning to the right on some issues, but on this issue i can't wrap my brain around it. i hate guns. the police chief says the family's understandabl

police now working to piece together what led to the death of saints player will smith. >>> taking a stand, as donald trump resets his campaign, one of the country's leading newspapers puts out a satirical and provocative vision of what a trump presidency would look like. >>> target paris. officials in belgium say the brussels bombings were a backup plan. the attackers initially wanted to strike paris again. >>> border violence. the chaotic scene in northern greece as macedonia cracks down hard, injuring dozens of migrants and preventing hundreds from getting through. >>> and family time. the big city set to become the first to mandate fully paid parental leave. six weeks off for new moms and dads. "nightly news" begins now. >> good evening. it was a shocking crime that seemed to come out of nowhere. it started with a car accident, an argument between the drivers and then a handgun drawn and shots fired leaving a well-known new orleans nfl player dead. a spokesman for the saints called the death of former defensive end will smith a senseless and tragic loss. and now we're learning mo

former nfl star will smith. the coroner this evening now revealing smith was shot eight times, seven times in the back. abc's ryan smith in new orleans. >> reporter: tonight, new details emerging in that deadly road rage killing of former nfl star will smith. his family's attorney saying cardell hayes was the aggressor. >> he's a cold-blooded killer. >> reporter: we now know the saints football star was shot eight times, seven in the back. and this surveillance video may shed new light on what triggered the altercation. you can see what's believed to be hayes' hummer stopping in the road. watch as smith's mercedes appears to bump the hummer and leave the scene. blocks away, police say hayes then collided with smith's mercedes. they say the men exchanged words. hayes then opening fire. police say they found a loaded handgun in smith's car. hayes' attorney claims his client did not instigate the violence. are you saying that your client felt threatened by the presence of something smith had or someone in his party

and for felicia smith, change is good. >> miss smith, it's time go. county want everything to gave you. >> for real? >> awesome. >> her judge has sentenced her to two years' probation, and today she is being released after nearly six months in jail. >> i'll see you in two weeks. >> never. probably see me in seven years. or five. >> you got the seven-year itch then. >> whatever. no, no, no, no. look at all of these books. >> come on, santa claus. >> about an hour later, smith is bound for home. i need a cigarette, y'all. >>> see how dirty it is, disgusting. it seems john schmidt has also embraced change, and it's not just limited to his appearance. >> oh, yes! look at that. see, that's called the dirty bird. >> birthy bird? >> it's like rotisseried chicken. this is the best meal. >> why you get two pieces? >> because i don't lie around when i come out. i clean up. because if you do the right things, they'll look out for you. if youability like a jerk-off, then you don't get nothing. >> schmidt has earned the trust of staff. they have let him resume his

smith's family said we appreciate the outpouring of the prayers. just last month smith was unanimously elected to the saints' hall of fame in his first year of eligibility. as for the suspect he was arraigned late today and now being held on $1 million bail. kate? >> gabe gutierrez thank you. >>> in politics now donald trump is refining his campaign tonight as the front-runner fights for delegates and tries to lock up the nomination before the republican convention this summer. but his opponents gained new fuel today from a provocative depiction of a trump presidency by one of the country's leading newspapers. jacob rascon has more on the republican battle. >> reporter: there is little doubt rochester, new york, is trumper er iterritory. >> there is no rally like a trump rally and nobody gets that people. >> reporter: sporting a new haircut and sharper message. >> rochester lost 90,000 jobs since 1970, 4,000 jobs in the last six months. >> reporter: but even some true believers here say they're ready for trump 2.0. >> he is changing obviously. we s

lawyers are sparring over a loaded gun found in smith's suv. questions over why it took police days to find additional weapons. cnn's jean casarez has the story. >> reporter: john and lynda, the orleans parish coroner released a statement saying will smith was shot eight times. seven were in the back and the other was in his left side. the family for will smith spoke yesterday for the first time. raquel, his wife, was shot two times. once in the right leg which broke her femur and the other went through her left leg and went through her thigh. the attorney wanted to talk about saying inside the vehicle was a .9 millimeter handgun. it was fully loaded. none of the shots fired in the gun at all. the family attorney wanted to clear up what they called lies and distortions perpetrated by the defense counsel for cardell hayes. they said will smith did not have a gun in his hand or did not brandish a firearm at all when he was shot those eight times. secondly, in the initial encounter what the defense is calling a hit-and-run. no one in the car of wi

smith to go get a gun. >> but on tuesday, police confirmed they discovered a fully-loaded gun in smith's car, raising a number of questions, including why it took investigators more than two days to find it. police say they needed time to methodically execute a search warrant. the coroner said smith was shot eight times, seven times in the back, once in the left side of his chest. and for the first time, we're hearing from the attorney of hayes' passenger, who calls this, justifiable homicide. >> smith had a gun and was going to shoot it and cardell may have saved both of their lives, the attorney tells nbc news, we assume will smith is a saint, but he's not. a public viewing for smith now scheduled for friday. as the investigation into his final moments intensifies. gabe gutierrez, nbc news, new orleans. >>> let's check the forecast now from nbc meteorologist bill karins. how is it looking out there? >> pacific northwest, not so bad. probably worst weather in the country will be found northern california and the oregon coastline. pretty impressive storm swirling off the coastline, about

killing smith. smith's right shot in the right leg. >> obviously being in new orleans we all are aware of will smith as we are every other saints football player, but were they friends, hang out in the same circles, things like that? the answer is no. >> in a bizarre twist, hayes' father was killed during a standoff with police in 2005. hayes' family sued, and just before smith's death he was having dinner with that officer named that civil suit. so now police are trying to figure out whether this coincidence relates to the investigation. >> it is interesting. right now we're investigating the homicide, all of those fa s facts. ask questions about those and see if there's any correlation. >> smith was a beloved player in new orleans and throughout the nfl. pray for my friend's family, pray for his teammates. so senseless. rest in peace, will. and lebron james tweeting, prayers and condolences sent out to will smith #rip and his beautiful family. certainly he did have a beautiful family. more of that

insisting smith was the aggressor. let's get more from jean casarez. >> reporter: hayes remains on a $1 million bail this morning. we know that nfl former football player and his wife had dinner with friends at a restaurant in the french quarter in new orleans. they left the restaurant at 11:15 p.m. and police said ten blocks away from the restaurant when a vehicle rammed into from the rear their mercedes benz suv. police say that words were exchanged, but they also say that what happened was that cardell hayes took a small gun out of his vehicle and began to shoot multiple times will smith, killing him at the scene. his wife was shot in the leg. she was taken to the hospital. will smith was drafted in 2004 for the nfl. he played his entire career with the new orleans saints. he was actually with them when they won the super bowl in 2010. he had received knowledge that he was going to be inducted this year into the new orleans saints hall of fame. john, michelle. >>> republican senator chuck grassley and nominee merric

will smith will smith ♪ >> will smith was in the audience loving it. all right now mayor bill de blasio took the stage this weekend as well with hamilton star leslie odom junior at the annual circle dinner event. after rapping about his political rivals he introduced democratic presidential candidate hillary clinton and the former senator from new york had a few jokes of her own. >> i just have to say, thanks for the endorsement, bill. took you long enough. there are a lot of things i could ask you. of international, national, state, and city importance. but will you just fix these metro card slots in the subway? >> i will get right on it. right on it. absolutely, hillary. >> well, you are my second favorite guy named bill. >> speaking of metro cards slots this morning "snl's" take on hillary clinton's quest to win the new york primary and yes it'veed that fail at the subway turnstile. take a look at this. >> gosh, new york has been cold this week, hasn't it? in fact my head is getting a hill chilly. i better put on my favorite hat that i've worn so ma

we assume will smith is a saint, but he's not. a public viewing for smith now scheduled for friday as the investigation into his final moments intensifies. gabe gutierrez, nbc news, new orleans. >>> the teen known for his so-called affluenza defense is back in the headlines. ethan couch face adjudge once again today in adult court, and this time he did receive prison time, nearly two years or 180 days for each of the four people he killed in a drunk driving crash. nbc's miguel almaguer has more. >> reporter: ethan couch, better known as the affluenza teens, was in adult court today ordered to stay in jail for nearly two years. the 19-year-old who was at the center of an international manhunt saying little in court as the judge imposed his sentence. >> you will remain in the county jail at this time. i want you to understand that. you're not getting out of jail today. >> reporter: in 2013 couch received ten years probation after a drunk driving accident that left four dead and nine others injured. the defense argued his life of pri

others taking to twitter saying -- rest in peace, will smith. >> and time -- >> reporter: smith was a member of the 2009 super bowl winning sates team that brought the city its first championship. >> he was one of the all-time great saints defensive players. >> reporter: is senior vice president of the saints tweeting, a senseless and tragic loss. our thoughts and prayers are smith, his wife, racquel, and his children,. >> reporter: his wife is recovering in the hospital. she's expected to be okay. >> what a disaster. thank you for bringing us the story. >>> back over to rob with another look at the forecast. what's cooking? >> cold and snow the story. this, the picture out of state college, pennsylvania. good snow there.>> this weather report is i could use some after -- no, i wouldn't say that. >> you're much more credible when you're outside in the elements, not inside here, nice and cozy. >> let's watch the matches together. come on. come over the house. >> bromance. >>> coming up, imagine checking your phone and seeing this. alleged burglars breaking into your home live. what hap

smith. mr. smith: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consenthat al members may have five legislative da within wch to revise and extend their remarks and include extraous materials on h.r. 4885, currently under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. smith: thank you, mr. speaker. i recognize myself for as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. smith: the i.r.s. owes act about protecting the american taxpayer. those who elected us to represent them, from an i.r.s. proven and capable of being -- incapable of serving their interest. thomas jefferson said when the people fear the government, there's tyranny. when the government fears the people, there is liberty. right now the people of missouri's eighth district fear the i.r.s. they fear an unjust audit, political and religious targeting, and most recently they fear spending an avera of eight hours to complete their tax returns. that's simply not rigt. this bill is about liberating the folks of

in smith's car. raising a number of questions including why it took investigators more than two days to find it. police say they needed time to methodically execute a search warrant. the coroner said that smith was shot seven times in the back, once in the left side of his chest. and for the first time we're hearing from the attorney of hays' passenger. who calls this justifiable homicide. smith had a gun and was going to shoot it and cardell may have saved both of their lives the attorney tells nbc news. we assume will smith is a saint, but he's not. a public viewing for smith now scheduled for friday as the investigation into his final moments intensifies. gabe gutierrez, nbc news. >>> let's get down to business with cnbc's landon dowdy. >> hi, good morning to you. futures are slightly lower on wall street, but the major averages cruised to 2016 highs with financials leading the rally. related to jobless claims and earnings from bank of america and wells fargo. gaining 187 points and the nasdaq up

smith? mr. smith: mr. chief justice and may it please the court, there's no conclusion that the population districts in the arizona map violate the equal protection clause. justice scalia: do you accept the fact -- speaking of accepting fact findings, do you accept the fact finding that at least part of the motive was partisan? mr. smith: i don't think that's a a fair characterization of what the district court found, your honor. the district court found the predominant motive -- is said there may have been two of the five commissioners who as to one district, district eight, had some mixed motives in urging that district be made more competitive but did not find the commission as a whole acted even in that one instance with partisan motivations and that district is not one of the ones that's significantly underpopulated. the decision to move population around to make that district somewhat more competitive even if it was motivated by partisanship has nothing to do with what we're talking about here, which

will smith played for the saints in the super bowl. now gunned down in new orleans. >> complainants state that there is a male down with about six gunshot wounds to the chest. >> his wife shot, too. rushed to the hospital. the details coming in right now. >>> fight for delegates. the new victory for bernie sanders. >> we just won wyoming. >> but hillary clinton says she's still confident. >> last time i checked about 220 or so pledged delegates ahead. >> despite some "snl" jabs for her subway slip-up, this as ted cruz crushes it in colorado, sweeping delegates from donald trump. plus, this morning this front page bombshell. "the boston globe's" shocking satire. their new message this morning. why the gop must stop trump. >>> and art heist. the target, these iconic andy warhol prints in a scene straight out of "the thomas crowne affair." these soup cans disappearing. now the international manhunt to find them. >>> hey, good morning. paula is off this morning. very happy to have cecilia vega at the desk on a sunday morning. for much of a

. >>> shepard smith on the fox news desk. we've talked about the rules at the republican convention. when a man who helps write the rules makes predictions, we should probably listen the him. he writes the rules. coming up, what this man says about the back room dales that could bring marco rubio back in the mix and why he says donald trump could come up short of a delegate count and still clinch the nomination. see you in 16 minutes. >> back to the real story now. road rage incident in florida all caught on camera. it appears a guy on a bike tried to block in a man in a bmw. the man gets out and tries to ensure the motorcycle don't leave until police arrive. the riders gang up on and start punching the drooefr. at that point, the female passenger in the car gets out and pulls a gun. the incident has not been reported yet. go back in session now. first time for proposal, new york state looking to use something called a texterlizer. it would require drivers involved in accidents to submit their phone to road side testing so th

smith and his wife have three children and his wife is expected to survive. hayes remains in jail on a $1 million bond. in a statement, nfl commissioner roger goodell wrote, this is such a tragic loss of life. meg? >> certainly. don champion in new york for us, thank you. >>> a new poll out this morning, appears to spell trouble for republican presidential candidate donald trump. an associated president gfk poll more americans think hillary clinton will make america great again mp trthan trump. the poll believes that clinton represents their own views. 30% say trump does. now with the next primary just eight days away, candidates on both sides of the aisle have their sights set on that delegate-rich state. brian webb reports on the battle for new york. >> reporter: donald trump says there's something wrong with the way republicans choose their presidential nominee. >> we have got a corrupt system. it's not right. we are supposed to be a democracy. >> reporter: trump's campaign says ted cruz is using underhanded methods to pick up delegates loyal to the texas

others taking to twitter saying -- rest in peace, will smith. >> and time -- >> reporter: smith was a member of the 2009 super bowl winning sates team that brought the city its first championship. >> he was one of the all-time great saints defensive players. >> reporter: is senior vice president of the saints tweeting, a senseless and tragic loss. our thoughts and prayers are with will smith, his wife, racquel, and his children. >> reporter: his wife is recovering in the hospital. she's expected to be okay. >> what a disaster. thank you for bringing us the story. >>> back over to rob with snow continues to be the top story, this is the picture out of state college, pennsylvania, penn state is home based. good snow there. a bunch of meteorologists there, the largest program in the county. a lot of peeps that work here in the weather department. we have the frost and freeze advisories in the south and ohio river valley and some areas in the carolinas, at or near freezing. 18 degrees in oak hill. these are actual temperatures, forget about the windchills. sphafers rainfall coming up -- a

i'm sandra smith. here today is harris faulkner, andrea tanteros, co-host of fox business's "after the bell," melissa francis is here. today's #oneluckyguy, former ambassador to the united nation, fox news contributor, john bolton and he is outnumbered. >> glad to be here. sandra: you are worked up about the news. we were chatting in the green room and you're fired! up. >> right. where do you want to start? sandra: good stuff. we'll start here. the battle between donald trump and republican national committee. it is heati

>> ryan smith in new orleans for us. thanks, ryan. >>> next to the new fears over the zika virus right here in the u.s. just 24 hours after the cdc said zika here in this country will be, quote, scarier than we initially thought, tonight, the map. where they're most concerned. they believe mosquitos that spread the disease could reach up to 30 states, more than the 12 they originally thought. this evening, abc's steve osunsami takes us right to the cdc in atlanta, to ask why they're so concerned, and we ask, why is there a funding fight in washington? is the u.s. prepared? >> reporter: tonight, authorities at the cdc tell us they're worried about what's happening in puerto rico, where they believe hundreds of infants like these, with smaller brains who will need lifelong care, could soon be born to infected mothers. every day, they learn something new, and it's not good. besides birth defects and smaller heads, babies are being born premature and blind. health officials are racing to prevent an outbreak here in the u.s.,

abc's ryan smith in new orleans tonight. >> she shot? >> reporter: tonight, new details emerging about the shocking death of former nfl star will smith. police charging the alleged shooter, cardell hayes, with second degree murder, saying he shot smith in the torso and back. and new video of the chaotic moments after. one voice ringing out, his wife raquel, caught in the cross fire. >> my leg has been shot! >> reporter: 11:30 saturday night, police receive the call -- shots fired. hayes' hummer rear-ending smith's mercedes suv, the men exchanging words. >> there's a male down with about six gunshot wounds to the chest. >> reporter: smith, the former super bowl champion and fan favorite, pronounced dead at the scene. hayes surrendered peacefully. >> my client was not the aggressor, in terms of the behavior that happened after the accident. >> reporter: claiming hayes himself had been the victim of a hit and run moments earlier, and was pursuing that driver when he collided with smith. >> it is certainly tragic at every level and on all si

i spoke to one former teammate of will smith last night. he had just spoken to will the night before his death. he said of all of the things that you see he said of all those things there was so much more that he did that he didn't talk about, things to help under privileged youth because he was a humble guy. he didn't care about the self glory. he said i was supposed to walk in graduation with will in less than a month from now. he is pursuing an executive nba. how many former players have you heard of that pursue an executive nba degree? this guy was figuring out next steps in life. he was on a mission with his family, wife, beautiful children now widowed and fatherless, tragic story. >> so much of his life still in front of him. nine years in the nfl takes a lot out of you. there is no question. this guy was just in his 30s. imagine how much life was taken from him and how much he did with the time that he had. thank you very much. from one of the hardest stories to talk about to what makes this show special every day, the good stuff com

. >>> police have a man in custody new orleans saints player will smith. don champion is here in new york with more. >> reporter: the killing has rippled through the sports world. smith was admired by fellow athletes and loved by his hands for bringing a super bowl championship to new orleans. this morning, police are calling his death a case of road rage. a black and yell tribute now marks the spot where former new orleans state defensive end will smith lost his life. >> no matter what the situation is, no one should ever pull a gun on somebody else. >> reporter: smith and his wife rockle was on their way home saturday night when authorities say a his mercedes suv was rear-ended and then cardell hayes pulled a gun and shot smith to death. his wife was shot in the leg. >> while this is an isolated incident, it is certainly tragic on all levels on all sides. confrontation started when his client's car was his first. >> my client pursued that vehicle in order to get the license plate number and in order to report an accident. >> reporter: before the shooting

police are looking into whether or not smith and hayes knew each other. smith was a dynamic player. a first round draft pick out of ohio. he played all nine of his nfl seasons with the new orleans saints where he was a pro bowler, a super bowl champion and a team captain. he was just recently formed as carol mentioned n informed, rather, that he was to be named to the new orleans saints hall of fame. >> he stumbled through his comments and just said this is fantastic. i can't tell you how much i appreciate this. and you could tell how genuine his reaction was. some guys cry. some guys laugh. some guys have other reactions, but this was typical of will. he hesitated before he responded, and when he did, he maintained his low key voice but let you know how excited he was. >> nfl players are emotional over this tragedy. i spoke to a former player who told me he has a knot in his stomach because that could have been him at the time. he can't imagine how his wife and children are feeling at this time. another told me that will smith was excited about his life after football. they were ro

smith to go get a gun. >> reporter: but police confirmed they found a fully loaded gun in smith's car, raising more questions, investigators more than two days to find it. the coroner said smith was shot eight times. seven in the back and once in the left side of his chest. and we're hearing from the attorney of hayes's passenger who called it justifiable homicide. a public viewing for smith now scheduled for friday as the investigation into his final moments intensifies. nbc news, new orleans. >>> now something much lighter. a california man arrived home from mexico with an unusual surprise, pulling into his driveway, he heard meowing coming from his car. he found a cat stuck inside his front fender. the local fire department arrived to free the furry stow away. to get the bumper. they took the whiskerred tag along to the local humane society. >> that's a name. tag along. tagging along? >> we have a little bit of light rain, little rock and atlanta. just showers. the only real heavy stuff is southern louisiana. you could get more down pours in new orleans just like yesterday. not as

it was bumped by a car resembling smith's suv. the hummer pulls over and the suv keeps driver and then the hummer apparently following. just blocks away smith is shot and killed. >> this was not some situation where my client hunted down mr. smith. >> hayes attorney maintains his client was not the aggressor, prior to the actions, my client was involved in a hit and run, and someone hit him, and the person failed to pull over and my client trailed behind this person in an effort to get their license number and my client called 911, while he is on the phone with 911 that is when the three car accident occurs. >> police claims hayes shot smith several times in the torso and back following an argument over hayes rear ending smith's attorney. his wife also injured in the gun fire screaming out at the scene is expected to recover. >> in response to the new surveillance video, police cannot confirm anything at this point, because this is still an ongoing investigation. >>> medical marijuana may be legalized in pennsylvania by the end of

smith and his wife multiple times. shooting shows his suv tapping hayes' hummer. smith drove away because he didn't see any damage. he then rammed smith's car and then came the deadly confrontation. >> he actually stood over will smith's dead body as his wife who had crawled away because she couldn't walk is cowering and hiding. >> as far as the eight shots that mr. smith sustained, i will say again that mr. hayes is legally not guilty. >> smith was shot seven times in the back. the family's attorney says smith had a loaded gun too, but never took it out of his car. >>> if you waited to file your taxes, there's good news this. year's deadline is three days later than usual. it's because of an annual holiday celebrated in washington d.c. here's cbs 2's craig boswell. >>reporter: marching bands and parades are part of the celebration of emancipation day every april 16th in washington d.c. on that day in 1862, president abraham lincoln signed the act, freeing more the d.c. government shuts down on the holiday, but this ye

smith is seeing very strong option flow here. she thinks if baidu can rally past 192, that's up 5 bucks from where it's trading now, that runs up past the crucial $200 level. you know what, smith may very well be right about this. lately we have gotten real good signs that china's side is turning. that's it. tad riski. i understand. play it with costs. there's one more aspect of the web we want to cover tonight. that's the online travel space of expedia. now expedia has been taken to the wood shed of late. it bottomed in mid-february, along with the rest of the market. rallied through march. but in recent weeks the stock has been steadily pulling back. it's really been a drag. if you look at this down here, the tool that technicians use to determine whether it was overbought or oversold, ex people ya is completely in oversold territory. it is currently trading below its 52-week moving average. that's critical. smith really doesn't like what she is seeing. in her view, this is not the moment to buy expedia. smith thinks the online

hayes and smith got into an argument and hayes pulled a gun and killed smith. his wife shot in the right leg. >> obviously being in new orleans, we all are aware of will smith as we are of every other saints football player. but were they friends, did they hang out in the same circles, things like that, the answer is no. >> and here's the bizarre twist -- hayes' father was killed during a standoff with police back in 2005. hayes' family sued. and just before smith's death, he was having dinner with an officer named in the civil suit. now police are trying to figure out when this coincidence relates to the investigation. >> it is interesting, and right now we're investigating the homicide. all of those facts. perhaps we'll ask questions about those and maybe see if there's any correlation. >> reactions to smith's death are pouring in this morning. former saint deuce mcallister, "pray for my friend's family. pray for his teammates. so senseless. rest in peace." and lebron james, "prayers and condolences sent out to will smith and his beautiful family." hayes is c

will smith. >> rest in peace. >> reporter: on the street where smith died, fans celebrate his life, in true new orleans style. smith died a week ago, gunned down while arguing with another driver over a minor accident. the exact details are still in question. his death shocked new orleans and beyond. the coach of the saints declaring our city is broken. >> is it? >> i think that shawn's initial reaction was one of emotion, he wasn't looking at the facts and circumstances of this particular case. >> reporter: according to the fbi, murders are down 65% from a peak in 1994. that year 424 people were killed. last year it was 165. landrieu is bothered by the focus on just one. >> i will say, though, and i mean this with great respect, there's been a lot of attention paid to this particular case. the next day there was another young man killed in the city that nobody is talking about, and hundreds of people killed before that nobody seems to know or care about either. >> reporter: if he sounds frustrated, he is. on the very day smith died, voters in new orleans rejected a property tax increa

former new orleans saints star will smith's murder sending shock waves through the sports smith shot multiple times during a road rage incident last night in an upscale neighborhood in new orleans. deny schenn anyway man shows us how a simple accident turned deadly. >> reporter: it was late saturday night when former new orleans saints player will smith and his wife were driving through the upscale lower garden district of new orleans when police say his mercedes was rear ended by a hummer. the force of the crash pushed smith's vehicle into the car in front of him. >> at some point the dreifort hummer identified identified as cardale hayes and smith exchanged words. shortly afterwards, hayes produced a handgun and opened fire on smith and his wife. >> smith shot multiple times was pronounced dead at the scene while his wife was shot in the leg and hospitalized with nonlife-threatening injuries. caroline saw the gunman. >> total terror. i creamed and ran. >> cardale hayes was arrested on c murder. investigators are looking for a possible motive. the police superintendent called it tra

smith had dinner with his friend, a former police officer, named in that lawsuit. at this restaurant. >> everything was normal. no strange stories or anything awkward. >> reporter: so far, police say there's no connection. smith's death is rippling through the sports world and the mystery is gripping the crescent city. >> that was nbc's gabe gutierrez reporting. new orleans coach sean payton has sparked controversy about a bigger picture. telling "usa today" in a phone interview, quote, i hate guns. 200 years from now they're going to look back and say what was that madness about? he goes on -- the idea that we need them to fend off intruders, people are more apt to draw them in other situations that's some silly stuff we are hanging on to. i'm not an extreme liberal, i find myself leaning to the right on some issues, but on this issue i can't wrap my brain around it. >>> turning now to the nba where in salt lake city, the mavericks clinched the number seven spot in the playoffs after a 101-92 win over the jazz. it will be the mavs' third straight trip to the playo