Daughter of New York Jets hero Al Toon 'is shot dead by her husband in front of their eight-month-old baby before he turned the gun on himself'
Molly Lillard, the daughter of New York Jets legend Al Toon, was shot dead by her husband in an apparent murder-suicide, police have said.
Officers believe Lillard's husband, Royce Lillard III, 36, shot her before later turning the gun on himself in their Scottsdale, Arizona, house on Sunday.
Their eight-month old baby was in the home but was not injured, police told the New York Post.
Pictured: Molly Lillard together with her husband Royce Lillard III. Police believe Royce shot and killed Molly before turning the gun on himself in an apparent murder suicide on Sunday
Royce had barricaded himself inside the family home when police arrived.
After an hours-long stand-off, SWAT entered to find him dead. His wife was also taken to hospital, but she was pronounced dead having succumbed to her injuries.
According to Facebook, the couple married over two years ago in 2018.
Al Toon, a wide receiver, made it to the Pro Bowl three times in eight years during his time with the Jets, after setting new records with the University of Wisconsin.
His daughter Molly took after her father in sports and became a standout volley player both at high school and the University of Michigan.
Police said they responded to reports of a shooting in east Scottsdale at around 5 p.m. on Sunday, and found a woman with gunshot wounds in front of her house.
As she was taken to the hospital, the shooter - who police said was the victim's husband - went back inside their house.
At that point, officers were unable to communicate with the shooter - later identified as Royce Lillard - for a number of hours, according to a police press release.
Toon, a wide receiver, made it to the Pro Bowl three times in eight years during his time with the Jets, after setting new records with the University of Wisconsin
Pictured: Molly (2-R) and Royce Lillard (L) pictured in a restaurant with Molly's father Al Toon, pictured right. Molly took after her father in sports and became a standout volley player both at high school and the University of Michigan
A SWAT team entered the couple's home at around 10:45 p.m. on Sunday, where they discovered the husband had died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to reports.
'For several hours officers attempted to establish communication with the male with no success,' said Scottsdale Police Department officer Kevin Watts.
'At approximately 10:45 p.m. SWAT officers were able to make entry into the home where the male suspect was discovered deceased from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.'
The couple's eight-month-old child was not hurt in the incident, and is now being cared for by other family members, the press release said.
The identity of the victim Molly Lillard was later confirmed to be that of 28-year-old Molly Toon, daughter of Jets legend Al Toon, by sports journalist Rob Reischel.
Police said the investigation into the incident is on-going.
'At this point in the investigation all indications are that this was a murder-suicide,' said officer Watts.
'At this point we can confirm that the couple's eight-month-old child was present at the time of the incident,' he added. 'That child was not injured and currently is in the care of family.'
Writing for the Middleton Times based in Wisconsin, Reischel said on Monday that the Toon family are 'widely considered the first family of Middleton', and that news of Molly's death in Arizona has 'sent shockwaves through the community'.
Molly Lillard (right) the daughter of New York Jets legend Al Toon (left) , was shot dead next to her husband in an apparent murder-suicide
Molly, whom Toon shared with his wife Jane, had four siblings also involved in athletics. Her brother Nick was a former University of Wisconsin (UW) and NFL player and sisters Kirby and Sydney who also played volleyball at UW.
Speaking to the Wisconsin State Journal, Franco Marcos - her girls volleyball coach at Middleton - said he was told Monday about the death of his former player.
'I coached her prior to high school in a club season and then four years in high school,' Marcos said in a telephone interview with the news outlet.
'Knowing the family and Al, it's really hard to hear a story like that. … It's sad. I really don't know what to say. It's such a tragic loss and the way it happened.'
Speaking to the Middle Times, Laura Wilkinson, a 2010 MHS graduate and a volleyball teammate of Toon, said she was 'in absolute shock.'
'Molly was such a good person, such a light in this world. It feels like things like this shouldn't happen to good people.
'I really looked up to Molly both on and off the court,' she continued. 'On the court, the thing I will remember the most about Molly is how she was such a strong leader, so mature, tough and inspirational.
Molly was a four-year varsity letter winner during her time at Michigan University, and she received an All-American honorable mention recognition from the American Volleyball Coaches Association as a senior in 2013, according the The Journal.
During her time at Middleton High School, from which she graduated in 2010, the volleyball team won 60 consecutive conference matches between 2005 to 2009, and is considered one of the finest volleyball players in the school's history.
The suspected murder-suicide is the latest domestic violence-related homicide in Arizona, which has seen numbers rise during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In Phoenix alone, there has been a more than 175 percent increase in 2020 compared to 2019, according to 12 News.
