Vernon Forrest Dead

Posted by Chris Monty on July 26th 2009

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Vernon Forrest, a former middleweight boxing champ, was shot and killed Saturday night in Atlanta, Georgia. Authorities indicated that he had been robbed and then exchanged gunfire with his assailant.

Forrest, 38, is the third renowned boxer to die in the last thirty days. Arturo Gatti was found dead on July 11th in a Brazilian resort. Alexis Argüello, a champion in the lightweight divisions, was found dead on July 1 at his home in Managua, Nicaragua. He had been elected mayor of Nicaragua’s capital last year.

Vernon Forrest had stopped at a gas station on Whitehall Street in central part of the city to fill the tires of his Jaguar with air when an armed man robbed him at gunpoint. Forrest was armed as well and pursued the man for several hundred feet. They then exchanged gunfire and Forrest was killed.

Forrest received seven to eight gunshots to the back, according to the police. There was evidence that Forrest had fired his weapon, but the police do not know if the assailant was shot.

An 11-year-old boy who was in Forrest’s vehicle gave police a description of the assailant. The boy, the son of Forrest’s girlfriend, did not witness the shootings, the police said.

An autopsy was planned for Sunday.