Sunday, October 1
Police investigate shooting death of Joe Parrella



GRAND ISLAND, Neb. -- As authorities investigated the shooting death of his father, John Parrella was on the field with his teammates as the San Diego Chargers lost 57-31 Sunday to the St. Louis Rams.

"The biggest thing is my family knew my father would be upset if I didn't play," Parrella said in St. Louis.

The defensive lineman said he was emotional because he knew how much his father loved the game.

"My father always said you've got to be accountable to your job, your work, your family," he said. "This is my family, and I wasn't going to let them come in here and play without me."

He planned to return to Nebraska until Wednesday, then rejoin the team for Thursday's practice.

The death was difficult on many of the Chargers. Linebacker Junior Seau called Friday's practice the toughest of his pro career, defensive line coach Wayne Nunnely described feeling intense anger and defensive end Raylee Johnson was momentarily speechless when asked about the shooting.

"He was like a dad to me," Johnson told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "He would throw these big hugs around you after games whether we'd win or lose.

"I didn't know him long, but it was better to know him a little rather than not at all, because he was a great example of what a dad should be."

Hall County Sheriff Jerry Watson said investigators were following "a tremendous number" of leads in the Friday shooting death of Joe Parrella.

The elder Parrella's body was found by sheriff's deputies responding to a home security alarm several hours before dawn Friday at his home south of Grand Island. He had been shot twice.

Watson said callers have been reporting tips and names of people who might have been angry with the 63-year-old Parrella, such as disgruntled employees at the family's auto dealership.

"It's going to take a long time to get through all of the information we've been given," Watson said.

A handgun was found near the body, authorities said, and tests are being conducted to determine if it had been fired.

Preliminary results from an autopsy conducted in Omaha confirmed Joe Parrella had been shot twice, but that only one of the wounds would have been fatal.

Watson said investigators believe Parrella was investigating the security alarm at his home when he was shot. It was not clear whether someone had tried to break into the home when the shooting happened.

Parrella's wife, Shirley, was in the house at the time of the shooting.

John Parrella was a three-year letterman for Nebraska as a defensive linemen, leading the Cornhuskers in tackles in 1992 with 77. The two-time All-Big Eight selection was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1993 but joined the San Diego Chargers in 1994 and has played defensive tackle for them since.

Funeral services for Parrella were set for Tuesday afternoon at a church in Grand Island.