Update [2007-11-26 20:30:25 by Skin Patrol]: Redskins Insider has the police report, and confirms that Sean Taylor flatlined twice during surgery: That grim atmosphere has since improved as Sean has shown slight, but encouraging progress.

Update [2007-11-26 19:7:57 by Skin Patrol]: Hat tip to reader MattR, per Redskins Insider:

Update [2007-11-26 18:45:23 by Skin Patrol]: Somehow missed this earlier today, but via My Brain Says Rage, check out the Michael Wilbon chat from earlier. A small, representative sampling: I've omitted portions of Wilbon's entire response to that question that related to Jason Campbell. I encourage you to go read the entire Q&A. I am not going to comment on it right now, though reader(s) might be interested in what Michael Wilbon had to say about the incident.

Update [2007-11-26 17:46:14 by Skin Patrol]: I would recommend going to the Official Site and watching this morning's interview with Clinton Portis, which is the 3rd video down currently. Portis is a friend and former teammate of Taylor and is obviously deeply upset at what happened. He joined Dan Snyder, Vinny Cerrato, and Bubba Tyer on a flight to Miami to check on Sean.

Update [2007-11-26 17:34:58 by Skin Patrol]: Per Redskins Insider: Added as confirmation that the house had been targeted earlier in the week, now confirmed from a number of sources.

Update [2007-11-26 17:27:35 by Skin Patrol]: Two issues to the story I want to editorialize on quickly. First, there was some question as to what Sean Taylor was doing at his home and not rehabbing with the Redskins. Gibbs addressed it in his press conference and Jason La Canfora wrote about it here: Those are both reasonable explanations that I'm willing to accept pending additional information. At the moment, that Sean Taylor was at his home and not with the team last night at 1:30AM is only a concern for me because he was shot; I'm not here to question the policies of the medical staff in letting people go home. I'm not a doctor and want only that my players recover from injury quickly. If one small part of that includes them taking time off from unnecessary travel with the team, so be it. That bothers me not.

The ESPN story, which, for all I know, was just scooped from the AP, has received criticism from Extreme Skins and commenters at FO who feel that the biographical information on Taylor, relating to his past transgressions, was out of line. I'll throw in my lot with those people. Nothing from the reports even suggests that anything that happened to Sean Taylor, invaded in his own home, shot, at 1:30AM in the morning, was Taylor's fault. This was not a case of being at the "wrong place at the wrong time" -- it's his house, at bedtime. If you really feel the need to talk about his transgressions, limit them to the ones that could possibly be relevant (though I'd posit none of them are). How on earth does his 17K spitting penalty or "late hits" on football fields possibly contextualize a story to the reader's benefit?

I don't have the facts of the story. I don't have any reliable explanation for why this seemingly senseless bullshit happened. All I have are the reports as they come in, and nothing about them suggested that Sean Taylor did anything wrong besides defend his home. His prior history does not frame the story in a manner that assists me in piecing together what happened. From where I'm sitting, that's just gratuitous filler of article that is in serious need of restraint. Having that filler didn't bother me until the seriousness of what happened came out; he wasn't just shot, at some point today Sean Taylor was, for all I know still currently is, dieing. I'm suggesting that perhaps it is best to spend some amount less than 289 of an 884 word article on prior transgressions that Sean Taylor has dutifully redressed in accordance with the league and the judicial system. I don't think ESPN did anything malicious, I just think it was an unnecessary way to frame an ongoing human tragedy; it added nothing for me as a reader and I can't imagine it helped anyone less familiar with Sean Taylor's past understand what happened today. I am not trying to be overly indignant about it -- ESPN knows better how to write a news story than I do -- but I certainly would not have added all/much of the extraneous stuff about Taylor, especially once it was revealed that he is clinging to life so tenuously. Just my two cents.

Update [2007-11-26 16:43:10 by Skin Patrol]: Coach Gibbs is discussing it right now; you can watch the video at The Official Site.

Update [2007-11-26 16:38:52 by Skin Patrol]: I don't know how Sharpstein got this information, but here's the word from the Washington Post: That's the most detailed account of what happened that I've read thus far.

Update [2007-11-26 15:11:21 by Skin Patrol]: Hat tip Mister Irrelevant on this Miami Herald article with additional details: Article also has a quote from neighbor Jim Smith, who spoke with a woman outside the house around 2:30AM (Taylor was shot ~1:30AM) who said "someone tried to break into Taylor's house last weekend and again earlier this weekend." Richard Sharpstein, Taylor's attorney and a friend of the family, confirmed that, and also pointed out that nothing was stolen. So, from what I can tell: Person unknown entered Sean Taylor's house, perhaps not even attempting to do so for the first time, shot at Sean Taylor twice, critically wounding him once, and fled. No theft was involved.

Deuce of Davenport is also on the story.

Update [2007-11-26 14:57:55 by Skin Patrol]: Details are still flowing in as we try and sort out this horrible tragedy. What it means to the team is really irrelevant at this point, as more pressing concerns are what it means to Sean Taylor. The seriousness of what happened cannot be overstated. From Yahoo Sports, Dan Snyder, Clinton Portis, and Bubba Tyer are on their way to Miami to find out more. From the same, Prioleau said: "This is not just a member of the Washington Redskins," said Prioleau, one of a few players made available to reporters. "But we're talking about a dad, a brother, a friend of ours, and that's where we're at with this right now."

From Redskins Insider via My Brain Says Rage:

The Official Site is also on the story, so keep a close eye there for updates. As soon as I hear anything, time permitting, I'll have it up. Ben from Curly R is obviously also following the story, and I am appreciative of him getting the word out to readers of this site.

And now we wait, hoping for the best. Thoughts and prayers are with Sean and his family through what must be an incredibly tense and difficult time.