Former pro football player gunned down in Florida

Thomas Gordon 1 of 4 men shot dead in 20 hours over weekend

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – One of four men gunned down in 20 hours over the weekend in Jacksonville was a professional football player and former Arlington Country Day School standout, News 6 partner WJXT-TV reported.

Thomas Gordon, 30, played arena football for several years after being released by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012. Gordon spent four months in the NFL as an undrafted free agent, according to a social media site. 

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Gordon, a wide receiver, was cut before the start of the 2012 NFL season but found a home in the Indoor Football League, where he played from 2012-2015 for the Wyoming Cavalry, Bemidji Axemen, Green Bay Blizzard and Billings Wolves.

Before turning pro, Gordon played college football at Kentucky Wesleyan, where he was a second-team all-conference selection and the team's leading rusher with 555 yards in 2009.

Gordon's social media page said he was born and raised in Jacksonville. 

According to police, Gordon was shot dead just after 12:30 a.m. Sunday near the intersection of West 8th and Tyler streets, more than 10 miles from his Arlington home.

Officers said they responded to the area after gunfire was captured on the city's ShotSpotter surveillance system. They have no description of a shooter and have not said what the motive might be.

Gordon's Facebook profile was flooded with condolence messages this week, including several remembering his days as a football player.


About the Authors:

Veteran journalist and Emmy Award winning anchor

A Jacksonville native and proud University of North Florida alum, Francine Frazier has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.

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