Molly Lillard, the daughter of former University of Wisconsin and New York Jets wide receiver Al Toon, was reportedly gunned down in what police described as a seemingly murder-suicide Sunday in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The Arizona Republic reported that Lillard was found shot and wounded outside a house around 5 p.m. local time and taken to hospital but succumbed to her injuries. Her husband, Royce Lillard III, was suspected of the shooting and barricaded himself in his home before being found dead from an apparent gunshot wound. SWAT teams attempted to establish contact with Royce Lillard before entering the house around 11 p.m.
The couple’s 8-month-old child was also inside the house and was not injured.
According to the Middleton Times-Tribune, the couple had been married for two years.
Molly Elizabeth Lillard, 28, graduated from Middleton High School in 2010, leading the school twice to the state volleyball tournament before playing at the University of Michigan. She was the recipient of a four-year letter for the Wolverines and earned an Honorable Mention with U.S. Honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association as a senior in 2013.
The Toon family – parents Jane and Al and four children – are well known in Madison.
Molly’s father Al Toon ended his college career in 1984 as the Badgers’ all-time leader in receptions (131), receiving touchdowns (19) and yards (2103), school grades he held for nearly two decades before being sidelined by Lee Evans in 2003. He was drafted 10th in the 1985 NFL Draft by the New York Jets and won the All Pro First Team Award in 1986 with three Pro Bowl selections over eight years.
The annual award presented by the Wisconsin Sports Network to the state’s top high school catcher is named after Toon, who has also been a two-time American triple jumper with the Wisconsin Badgers track team and qualified for the Olympic trials. .
Molly’s brother Nick Toon has also had an illustrious career as a receiver for the Badgers and is fourth in career receiving at 171 and receiving yards at 2,447. He was selected in the 2012 NFL Draft ( fourth round) by the New Orleans Saints and remained in the league through the 2015 season, making 21 catches for 283 yards and one touchdown.
In 2011, ESPN presented a night out for the Toon family in which Nick played in the Big Ten title opener against Michigan State while Molly’s Michigan team simultaneously upset Stanford in the volleyball tournament. the NCAA to reach the Sweet 16.
Molly’s sister Kirby Toon played volleyball in Wisconsin, and younger sister Sydney played volleyball at UW-Whitewater.
To note: Photos in Rob Reischel’s tweet taken by Mary Langenfeld.
JR Radcliffe can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.