Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer has confirmed that Marshawn Kneeland's girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, is pregnant. During a press conference on November 12th, Schottenheimer announced that Mancera is expecting their first child just a week after Kneeland's tragic passing from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 24.
"We want to ensure that she and the baby are taken care of for the rest of their lives," said Schottenheimer during the press conference. The Cowboys head coach also shared that the organization has created the Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund, which aims to financially support both Mancera and the couple's unborn child.
When viewers click "donate" on the fund's website, it reads, "The Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund is dedicated to preserving Marshawn's legacy and extending his impact through direct support for his surviving partner and unborn heir."
On November 6th, the Cowboys announced Kneeland's death in a statement shared with PEOPLE. "It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning," the statement read. "Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization. Our thoughts and prayers are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family."
Kneeland's agent, Jonathan Perzley, shared a statement expressing his devastation over Kneeland's passing, saying, "I am shattered to confirm that my client and dearest friend Marshawn Kneeland passed away last night." The second-year player died on the night of November 5th, just 48 hours after he had a big showing during the Cowboys' Monday Night Football game against the Arizona Cardinals. Kneeland recovered a blocked punt in the second quarter and scored a touchdown, putting the Cowboys on the scoreboard.
Later that day, PEOPLE reported that Kneeland died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after leading Texas DPS troopers on a chase just north of Dallas that Wednesday night. DPS Aircraft and troopers along with the Frisco Police Department found Kneeland approximately three hours after the chase, dead "from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound." Kneeland was in the immediate area of his car, which had crashed in the southbound lanes of the Dallas Parkway near Warren Parkway in Frisco at 10:39 p.m. on November 5th.
Moments earlier, troopers had attempted to stop Kneeland for a traffic violation on the northbound lanes of the Dallas North Tollway near Keller Springs Blvd., but he refused to comply, authorities said. He then fled and troopers pursued his vehicle until they lost sight of it. His car later crashed in the southbound lanes of the Dallas Parkway near Warren Parkway, authorities said.
According to the Frisco Police Department, during the course of the search, officers received information that Kneeland "had expressed suicidal ideations." Kneeland's body was found in the immediate vicinity of his vehicle at 1:31 a.m. on November 6th.
On November 12th, Mancera broke her silence on her partner's death, sharing a post on Facebook. "My sweet baby, words could never express how broken I feel, you’re my everything. I’ll love you forever my beautiful angel," she wrote, adding a white heart emoji. Friends and family shared messages of support in the comments, one friend writing, "Love you cat. He is always with you. Praying for you and thinking of you so much. And for his family and your family."
