U.S. National Football League (NFL) star Sean Taylor died Tuesday, a day after he was shot in the leg during a possible burglary at his Miami home. He was 24.

The Washington Redskins safety’s violent death had left his team in tears and the NFL in mourning.

Taylor died early Tuesday of a gunshot wound from an apparent intruder, a tragic end for a 24-year-old man whose life was transformed by the birth of a daughter 18 months ago.

A day earlier, Taylor and his girlfriend were awakened by loud noises, according to family friend Richard Sharpstein, who learned the details from Taylor’s girlfriend, Jackie Garcia. He said Taylor grabbed a machete he keeps in the bedroom for protection. Someone then broke through the bedroom door and fired two shots, one missing and one hitting Taylor, Sharpstein said. Neither Taylor’s daughter, Jackie, nor Taylor’s girlfriend were injured in the attack.

The bullet damaged the femoral artery in Taylor’s leg, causing significant blood loss. Taylor never regained consciousness, Sharpstein said.

Police had no description of a possible suspect and were investigating whether the shooting was connected to a break-in at Taylor’s home eight days earlier, in which police said someone pried open a front window, rifled through drawers and left a kitchen knife on a bed.(SD-Agencies)