Kris Boyd, the New York Jets cornerback who was shot in Manhattan in the early hours of Sunday morning, had just become a father before he was left fighting for his life.
The revelation came from his Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, who on Wednesday also underlined his belief that Boyd will make a full recovery from his injuries.
Speaking about his horror at first finding out Boyd had been shot, Glenn told reporters: ‘The first thing I thought about, he just had a kid and I’m thinking about his wife, I’m thinking about his kid and I want to make sure that he’s OK.
‘That’s the only thing that went through my mind. I’m happy the fact that he’s going to come out of this thing really, really well.’
Glenn said he spoke with Boyd ‘shortly’ after the shooting happened and that he is in a positive mindset.
‘That’s what eases my mind, is that he’s in good spirits,’ Glenn explained. ‘His wife and his kid, they’re in good spirits and he will walk away from this just fine. I was happy with the way he felt, the way he sounded.’
Kris Boyd is still in hospital after being shot in Manhattan in the early hours of Sunday
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn revealed that Boyd, 29, had recently become a father
Glenn said it is unclear when Boyd will leave the hospital, saying: ‘Don’t know just yet.
‘But I will say this, just talking to him, he felt really upbeat. And again, that’s what gives me comfort, that he feels like that and he’s talking that way.’
Glenn said he has not discussed if Boyd, 29, will be able to resume his football career, adding: ‘That’s something I didn’t even talk to him about. That’s something that didn’t need to be talked about at that time. There’s a ton of time to talk about football after this incident happened.’
Glenn said he spoke to the team about the incident.
‘When things like this happen, it’s easy for me to have conversations with a team but it’s always hard to figure guys have either put themselves in this situation or are in this situation,’ he said. ‘You don’t ever what something like this to happen. That’s a scary situation.’
Boyd was shot outside New York City‘s popular Asian-fusion restaurant Sei Less at around 2am Sunday, with NBC News reporting Monday that the bullet was still lodged in his lung.
The shocking incident near West 38th Street and Seventh Avenue is said to have occurred after a verbal dispute escalated, resulting in a gunman firing two shots. The suspect is still yet to be apprehended.
According to the New York Post, Boyd was partying with Jets linebacker Sherwood and wide receiver Charles at Sei Less – a favorite hotspot of celebrities including Cardi B, 50 Cent, Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg – when they left because he didn’t like the ‘vibe’ amid tension between other groups who were arguing with each other.
The NYPD has released two images of the man suspected of shooting him in New York City
There have been no arrests and the investigation is ongoing. Police say they are looking for a man who fled in a blue BMW in connection to the shooting.
They released photos of the suspect on Monday, asking for the public’s assistance in identifying him.
The Jets, 2-9 in a difficult first season for Glenn as head coach, meet playoff chasers Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
