Former NFL defensive back Terrell Roberts was shot dead in his grandmother’s backyard late Wednesday, the New York Post reported.

The former Cincinnati Bengals player was visiting his grandmother in Richmond, California, when an invader entered the matriarch’s home, Roberts’ relatives told Bay Area – San Francisco CBS affiliate KPIX. 

According to Enrik Melgoza, Richmond police sergeant, law enforcement responded to a report of a shooting around 4 p.m. Wednesday and found the NFL player dead in the backyard with a gunshot wound to his chest.

CNN reported witnesses spotted the former NFL player stumble into the backyard after a "disturbance."

Relatives said Roberts was “not mixed up in anything bad” and didn't have any foes. Melgoza, however, said the shooting stemmed from an altercation between the 38-year-old and the suspected shooter in the garage.

Due to the investigation, the sergeant declined to discuss evidence recovered from the scene of the crime.

Police and investigators say they are still searching for the suspect.

Word of Roberts’ passing swept across social media, garnering condolences from former teammates and fellow athletes. 

The former Bengals player was a native of Berkeley, California, and was signed to Cincinnati's NFL team in 2003. He was later released from the roster in 2005.  

Roberts played college football for Oregon State University. 

We send our condolences to his family and friends during this time. 

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