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Former NFL linebacker Junior Seau was found dead in his California home on Wednesday, according to multiple reports, including TMZ.com. He was found by his housekeeper with a gunshot wound to the chest, the result of an apparent suicide, reports the North County Times.
Details are scant at this point, but police are investigating a shooting that took place at his Oceanside home. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that a 911 call was placed to dispatchers around around 10 a.m. PT reporting a possible suicide.
If the reports are true, the 43-year-old Seau leaves behind three kids and an ex-wife. Seau played 20 years at linebacker in the NFL, 13 of which were spent with the San Diego Chargers. He retired following the 2009-10 season as a member of the New England Patriots with 1,524 career tackles. Before the Chargers drafted him fifth overall in 1990, he was a two-time unanimous All-American selection at USC.
Seau was also involved in a bizarre incident in 2010 when he drove his SUV off a cliff in Carlsbad after being arrested on domestic abuse charges. The linebacker denied rumors that he was attempting suicide, and insisted that he fell asleep at the wheel.