A former professional football player was shot dead during a fight over a parking spot, police in Colorado said.
Anthony “TJ” Cunningham, 46, played safety for the Seattle Seahawks after playing for Colorado University and Overland High School. Before his death, he was an assistant principal at Hinkley High School in Aurora.
Cunningham was shot by his neighbor after an argument over a parking spot, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office told 9 News. The fight was ongoing between the pair, who lived in Arapahoe County.
The shooter was identified as Marcus Alan Johnson, 31, who was being held on suspicion of first-degree murder.
Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Deborah Sherman said that Cunningham and Johnson got into a physical altercation over the weekend over the parking spot and the pair continued to taunt each other over text after the fight ended.
They agreed to “settle it” at Eaglecrest. That’s where the shooting occurred. The sheriff’s office said that Cunningham did not bring a gun to the meeting.
The sheriff’s office said that a passerby called 911 at 9:20 a.m. on Feb. 17 to report a shooting and that a few minutes later Johnson called 911 to admit that he’d shot his neighbor, claiming Cunningham attacked him earlier in the day. He told the dispatcher he was going home and he was arrested there.
“He came out of the house, said his gun was in the car, and that’s when we took the suspect into custody,” Sherman told CBS Denver.
Cunningham was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead.
Update on #neighbordispute – Marcus Johnson, 31, is being held on attempted murder charges in the shooting of Anthony Cunningham, 46, yesterday ay Eaglecrest High School in Aurora.
— Arapahoe Sheriff (@ArapahoeSO) February 18, 2019
“We are deeply saddened to learn that one of our assistant principals, Anthony Cunningham passed away earlier today,” Aurora Public Schools representative Corey Christiansen said in a statement.
“Our hearts are broken for Mr. Cunningham’s family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this tragic time. We will have additional counselors available at Hinkley High School throughout the week for students and staff who need additional support. We ask everyone to please keep Mr. Cunningham’s family in your thoughts.”
“We were deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the death of T.J. Cunningham,” added Colorado University Athletic Director Rick George said in a statement. “He was a good family man and had a strong passion for working with young people as evidenced by serving as an assistant high school principal. He was also a good alum, an active alum, and took great pride in being a Colorado Buffalo. Our hearts go out to TJ’s family on their tragic loss. We will miss him.”
Albus Brooks, the Denver City Council president, added on Twitter that he was “devastated to hear about the murder of my friend and former Colorado University Buffaloes teammate.”
T.J. Cunningham was a tremendous part of the CU community and touched countless others beyond Boulder
“We were deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the death of T.J. Cunningham. He was a good family man and had a strong passion for working with young people.” pic.twitter.com/LKsgivdQ81
— Colorado Buffaloes (@cubuffs) February 18, 2019
Devastated to hear about the murder of my friend and former @cubuffs teammate TJ “Anthony” Cunningham. He was only 46, and was married with kids. Praying for his family. #EndGunViolence pic.twitter.com/z2te9i4l4M
— Albus Brooks (@AlbusBrooksD9) February 18, 2019
According to the Denver Post, Cunningham played wide receiver and defensive back for Colorado University from 1992 to 1995. During that time, he had 21 receptions for 239 yards.
He was chosen in the 1996 NFL draft by the Seahawks and appeared in nine games with Seattle that year with one fumble recovery.
On a GoFundMe fundraising page, friends of Cunningham’s family said that he was “senselessly shot by a neighbor after a dispute and taken from this world while doing nothing more than protecting his family.”
“TJ’s legacy is beyond words and he has left behind a wife and five beautiful children who depended on him as a husband, father, and primary provider,” the friends wrote. “TJ always stood up for what was right and looked out for people who could not speak up for themselves. It’s not a coincidence that his career path led to helping children through education as the Assistant Principal at Hinkley High School.”
