The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced Thursday morning that Kneeland died of a “self-inflicted gunshot wound.” “We’re talking to the girlfriend, she’s trying to call the agent, so we’re trying to get her to call him first but she’s saying he is armed and has a history of mental illness, and her quote was, ‘He will end it all,’” the dispatcher said in the two-minute-plus audio obtained by TMZ Sports.
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Marshawn Kneeland had a ‘history of illness’
Catalina told authorities that Marshawn Kneeland had “a history of mental illness.” The call also featured a warning from a dispatcher. “You all do me a favor, everybody stay with a buddy, don’t go looking alone, this guy is armed,” the person said.
Kneeland is said to have texted his family “goodbye”, according to New York Post. “…I just received a group text from him saying goodbye, they’re concerned for his welfare, they do not have a key to the apartment,” another dispatcher said in the clip, which appeared to start mid-sentence.
The Frisco police said they received information that Kneeland — who they said fled on foot — had “suicidal intentions,” and they found him dead at 1:31 a.m. The audio dispatch indicated they found him in a porta-potty near a building. “We didn’t see any movement, still got that heat signature, looks like it’s curled up at the bottom of that porta-potty,” the dispatcher said. “With the stream of blood coming from the porta-potty.”
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Another person stated: “He’s going to be laying on his side, facing inward, and quite a bit of blood coming out, a possible (indeciperhable).” The Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office will make the official determination on the cause of death, according to the release.
Kneeland’s death was announced by the Cowboys on Thursday. He was 24 years old. “It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning,” the team said in a statement. “Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization. Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.”
Marshawn Kneeland and Catalina’s relationship
Kneeland and Catalina largely kept their relationship out of the public eye, but she routinely left comments on his Instagram posts. “That’s my mann 😍👏🏽,” Catalina wrote on a post from June that showed off pictures from Cowboys training camp. Kneeland captioned the carousel of photos, “There is no shame in being weak. The shame is in staying weak.” In May, Kneeland shared a series of photos of his late mother, Wendy, who died in February 2024.
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Catalina commented, “Yk [you know] she’d be so proud of everything you’ve accomplished so far, bby ❤️❤️.” Kneeland shared another series of pictures in January, showing off some highlights from his NFL rookie season.
“mhmm my mans so fine 🤤❤️,” Catalina wrote.