Sitting in a wheelchair and shielded by dark glasses, Racquel Smith, the wife of slain New Orleans Saints player Will Smith, has been seen in public for the first time since the shooting that left her husband dead.
Racquel, who was shot in both legs during the vicious late night attack in central New Orleans on Saturday, leaving her with a shattered femur, was attending a casket viewing for her deceased husband alongside fellow Saints player Pierre Thomas.
Thomas claims to have witnessed the shooting after going out for dinner with him on the night of the attack.
It was during the drive home that Smith was shot eight times, seven of them in the back, killing him.
Racquel Smith, widow of former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith, has been seen in public for the first time since her husband was shot dead and she was shot in both legs during a late-night altercation following a traffic accident
Smith attended a casket viewing for her husband with Pierre Thomas (together left) another Saints player who claims to have witnessed Will being shot. Former Saints player Steve Gleason, who has a degenrative muscle condition, also attended the ceremony (right)
New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson and his wife Gayle view the casket of former Saints defensive end Will Smith during a public viewing inside the team's training facility in Metairie, Louisiana
Smith died after being shot eight times on Saturday night, with seven bullets entering his back, following a car crash with murder suspect Cardell Hayes, 28, who also claims to be a fan of Smith (pictured, mourners view Smith's casket)
Cardell Hayes, 28, has been accused of the brutal murder but is pleading his innocence.
Hayes' lawyer John Fuller has repeatedly stated that his client is not 'legally guilty' of murder, saying on Thursday that Smith was a hero to Hayes, who also played football.
At the Saints' training center on Friday hundreds of people wearing the team colors of black and gold turned out to pay homage to the former defensive end who was born in New York, but became a hometown legend.
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ShareAmong the crowd was Smith's father, Will Smith Snr, wearing a Saints cap and black shirt, seen sitting at a table with family members, Saints head coach Sean Payton, assistant coach Joe Vitt, and owner Tom Benson; alongside former teammates and players from across the NFL.
Also in attendance was Steve Gleason, a former Saints player diagnosed with the degenerative muscle condition ALS in 2011, who was pictured arriving in a wheelchair alongside his wife Michele.
As people gathered inside to pay their respects to Smith and remember his celebrated career in the NFL, the Saints flag flew at half-staff outside.
Smith was a much-beloved member of the Saints organization, helping the team rebuild during its tumultuous post-Katrina season in 2005 when they traveled like nomads from stadium to stadium as the New Orleans Superdome was repaired.
Will Smith Snr, Smith's father (center), was pictured with family members at the event on Friday. There were no hymns or readings, instead guests were asked to sign a visitor's book, write on prayer cards or make a donation to Smith's charitable foundation
Thomas was also seen speaking with New Orleans police captain Billy Ceravolo at the viewing on Friday, clearly struggling under the weight of his emotions less than a week after Smith was killed
Thomas, who was also part of the 2009 Super Bowl team, had gone back to Chicago following the shooting, but returned to New Orleans Friday. Thomas claimed to have witnessed the shooting, and was pictured at the scene, but it is not known how he ended up there
New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton (facing the camera), who led Smith to Super Bowl glory in 2009, hugs former running back Darren Sproles during the viewing. The pair played together on the team
New Orleans Saints assistant coach Joe Vitt hugs safety Roman Harper, who plays with the Carolina Panthers. Harper was a teammate of Smith's for seven years on the Saints, including during their 2009 Super Bowl victory
Emotions were on display in the Saints training center where Smith's casket was laid out on Friday. People hugged and talked, some dropped to their knees in prayer, while others simply stood in silence and reflected
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Then in 2009, Smith was defensive captain on a team that went all the way to the Superbowl and won.
He and his wife Racquel stayed in the area after he retired, and he remained active with various charities he's supported in the community.
'I came out today because this was a great man. And he did a lot for the city and we got to watch him every Sunday and look up to him,' said Lance Ural, from New Orleans, who was wearing a Saints T-shirt. 'For something like this to happen it's only right that we pay our respects.'
There was no ceremony or speeches as fans filed through the practice field, past photos of Smith.
They stood in front of his silver casket which was covered with a bouquet of white orchids.
Behind the casket were three large photos of Smith playing football. On either side, large video screens showed video snippets and photos of Smith on and off the field.
Many fans lingered in front of the casket. Others kneeled down in prayer or bowed their heads in respect for a few minutes of silence.
'It broke my heart,' said Khantrell Wagner, who lives in the same New Orleans Lower Garden District neighborhood where Smith died. 'It just saddens me that this could have been avoided.'
Anita Harrison said she had been attending Saints games since 1969 and has been a season-ticket holder since 2000. She admired Smith for his intensity and the way he took rookies under his wing. 'It really didn't hit me until I walked in here today,' she said.
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New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson was among hundreds of people who attended the casket viewing on Friday. As a mark of respect, the Saints flag outside the training ground flew at half-staff
Head coach Sean Payton paid his respects at the viewing, surrounded by fans and members of the organization, one of whom wore at t-shirt with the team's logo and Smith's name printed on the back (center)
Clenched jaws, drooping faces and red eyes showed the raw emotion on display for Smith during the viewing which took place Friday, just six days after he was gunned down in his adopted home city
Thomas was also seen getting emotional as he looked at Smith's casket alongside officer Ceravolo. On Friday night a march with musicians and dancers took place for Smith at the spot where he was killed, with a private family funeral on Saturday
Dotted around the practice center were pictures of Smith, his wife and his children, along with images and footage being played on TV screens of him during his days with the Saints (pictured, Smith's old jersey on display at his casket viewing)
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Smith was admired for his tenacity and grit on the field and for remaining in the area even after he left the team. He and his wife lived in Kenner, a New Orleans suburb, and Smith commuted to Florida, where he was getting his master's degree in business at the University of Miami.
Smith had three children - eldest son Will Smith Jr was from a previous relationship, while daughter Lisa and youngest son Wynter were from his marriage to Racquel.
Guests were asked to sign a book and prayer cards and could make donations to Smith's 'Where There's A Will, There's a Way Foundation.'
The grieving continued Friday night where — in true New Orleans fashion — a second line parade of musicians and mourners took place in the area he was killed. A private family burial and funeral service is scheduled for Saturday.
Meanwhile Fuller, wrote a letter to New Orleans police, demanding they recuse themselves from investigating the shooting.
In a letter delivered Friday to Mayor Mitch Landrieu and police Superintendent Michael Harrison, Fuller charged that the investigation should be handed over to state police or the FBI due 'to a grave lack of faith in the honesty and competency' of the department's investigation.
In a statement, police spokesman Tyler Gamble said the homicide was getting a 'fair, thorough and complete' investigation and that they would 'follow the facts wherever they take us.'
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On Friday evening musicians and revelers marched past the spot where Will Smith was shot dead in a so-called 'jazz funeral', a New Orleans tradition where celebratory music is played on the way back from a funeral
Revelers took to the street where Smith was shot wearing black and gold, the team colors of the New Orleans Saints
A makeshift memorial has been set up to Smith on the street where he was shot on Saturday night
Smith was a father-of-three. Son Wynter (left) and daughter Lisa (center) were from his marriage to Racquel, while eldest son Will Smith Jr (right) came from a previous relationship
Smith, a defensive end, was drafted into the Saints team from Ohio State in the first round of the 2004 draft and spent his entire career with the team until retiring in 2012
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