Former two-division world champion Vernon Forrest was shot and killed Saturday night during an attempted carjacking, promoter Gary Shaw said.
“It’s 100 percent confirmed. He’s dead,” said Shaw, who had two stints as Forrest’s promoter. “I will say this about him — he was a decent human being. His work with kids, I think people knew how much he cared for kids, underprivileged and mentally challenged people. He was a real decent human being outside the ropes.”
WSB Radio in Atlanta first reported the shooting, citing a police spokesman. Forrest, who was 38, lived in Atlanta and was an Augusta, Ga., native. He was shot seven or eight times as he chased at least two men who had tried to steal his Jaguar as he put air in his tires at an Atlanta gas station, Lt. Keith Meadows said, according to the radio station.
But Forrest had a gun and confronted the men, police said.
“The victim and suspect became involved in a brief foot chase,” Meadows said. “At some point, gunfire was exchanged between the two of them. The victim was shot at least once in the head.”
Forrest was fatally wounded by two semi-automatic weapons, according to police.
“At this point we have a general description of at least two black males driving a red Monte Carlo,” Meadows said, according to the report.
Police said the suspects likely didn’t know Forrest, whose girlfriend’s young son was in the car when he was shot.
“What can you say? Alexis Arguello, Arturo Gatti and Vernon Forrest all leaving us within 30 days? I think it’s a little much for our sport to handle,” Shaw said, referring to the recent high-profile deaths of two other boxing stars. “The violence, the guns have to go. Violence belongs inside the ropes. Not outside them. It’s just senseless. Maybe boxing ought to dedicate itself to keeping the violence inside the ropes and try to send that message out to the world.”
Manager Al Haymon was too broken up to talk about Forrest, the first fighter he signed to what would become an all-star stable.
Forrest (41-3, 29 KOs), a 1992 U.S. Olympian, was a former two-time welterweight and two-time junior middleweight champion best known for his two decision victories against Shane Mosley in 2002.
Forrest had beaten Mosley to keep him off the 1992 Olympic team but when they met in January 2002 in New York, it was Mosley, then widely regarded as the pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter in boxing, who was a significant favorite.
Instead, Forrest knocked Mosley down and dominated the fight to hand him his first pro loss and win the WBC welterweight title. Forrest outpointed him in a closer fight in the July 2002 rematch in Indianapolis.
Forrest won the vacant IBF welterweight title in May 2001 with a lopsided decision against Raul Frank in New York. It was a rematch because their first bout ended in a three-round no contest nine months earlier. Forrest never defended that belt, instead vacating in order to facilitate the big-money first fight with Mosley.
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