Photos From The Late Saints Player Will Smith’s Casket Viewing

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Racquel Smith, widow of former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith, has been seen in public for the first time since her husband was shot dead and she was shot in both legs during a late-night altercation following a traffic accident

Racquel Smith, the wife of slain New Orleans Saints player Will Smith, has been seen in public for the first time since the shooting that left her husband dead.Racquel, who was shot in both legs during the vicious late night attack in central New Orleans on Saturday, leaving her with a shattered femur, was attending a casket viewing for her deceased husband alongside fellow Saints player Pierre Thomas. Thomas claims to have witnessed the shooting after going out for dinner with him on the night of the attack.

It was during the drive home that Smith was shot eight times, seven of them in the back, killing him.

Racquel Smith, widow of former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith, talks to former Saints running back Pierre Thomas, during a public viewing of Smith's casket inside the team's NFL football training facility in Metairie, La., Friday, April 15, 2016. Smith was shot to death, and Racquel wounded by gunfire, after an altercation following a traffic accident last Saturday. Thomas was with them when he was killed. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson and his wife Gayle view the casket of former Saints defensive end Will Smith during a public viewing inside the team's training facility in Metairie, Louisiana

Cardell Hayes, 28, has been accused of the brutal murder but is pleading his innocence. Hayes’ lawyer John Fuller has repeatedly stated that his client is not ‘legally guilty’ of murder, saying on Thursday that Smith was a hero to Hayes, who also played footballSmith died after being shot eight times on Saturday night, with seven bullets entering his back, following a car crash with murder suspect Cardell Hayes, 28, who also claims to be a fan of Smith (pictured, mourners view Smith's casket) Will Smith Snr, Smith's father (center), was pictured with family members at the event on Friday. There were no hymns or readings, instead guests were asked to sign a visitor's book, write on prayer cards or make a donation to Smith's charitable foundationClenched jaws, drooping faces and red eyes showed the raw emotion on display for Smith during the viewing which took place Friday, just six days after he was gunned down in his adopted home citySmith was a father-of-three. Son Wynter (left) and daughter Lisa (center) were from his marriage to Racquel, while eldest son Will Smith Jr (right) came from a previous relationshipSmith, a defensive end, was drafted into the Saints team from Ohio State in the first round of the 2004 draft and spent his entire career with the team until retiring in 2012Dotted around the practice center were pictures of Smith, his wife and his children, along with images and footage being played on TV screens of him during his days with the Saints (pictured, Smith's old jersey on display at his casket viewing)