A normal Independence Day became anything but in July 4, 2009, when word emerged that former NFL quarterback Steve McNair had been murdered.

The news was shocking, the circumstances mysterious. McNair was shot four times. Police ultimately determined that his 20-year-old girlfriend, Jenny Kazemi, killed him before committing suicide.

McNair was only 36 at the time.

Kazemi had purchased a gun the night before the killing. There were, and in some circles still are, questions about whether she actually pulled the trigger, on McNair or on herself. One of the most persuasive arguments we heard at the time was that McNair was shot execution style, with two shots in the head and two in the chest.

It always seemed like something a 20-year-old who never before owned a gun would have a hard time accomplishing.

Regardless of the official conclusion or the unofficial suspicions that still linger, McNair’s life ended at a young age in a violent and shocking way on this day, 14 years ago.

A three-time Pro Bowler and co-MVP of the league in 2003, McNair led the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV. Tennessee nearly forced overtime against the Rams, with a McNair pass to receiver Kevin Dyson coming up just short of the end zone. The Titans traded McNair, the third pick in 1995, to Baltimore after drafting Vince Young with the third overall pick in 2006.

In all, McNair spent 13 years in the NFL. Here’s a link to the episode of A Football Life devoted to him.