Did Antonio Brown file for bankruptcy? Former NFL star launches GoFundMe to support New Orleans attack victims’ families 

Antonio Brown, a former NFL player, has initiated a GoFundMe page to ease the financial strains of all the families of the 14 victims slain in the New Orleans terrorist attack on New Year's Day.

The former All-Pro receiver once boasted a whopping $81 million in earnings over his 12-year-long career in the NFL. However, in June 2024, he was forced to file for bankruptcy, revealing on The Pivot Podcast at the time that he was in debt:

"I mean, I'm f---ed up, you know what I'm saying? I just can't comply with debt. You know, it's all about protecting yourself. But yeah, you know ... I'm not broke, but I'm fractured. ... I'm just reallocating the debt to take care of the debtors. That's all I'm doing."

He went on, noting that he filed for Chapter 11, more commonly known as "reorganization" bankruptcy. This means that the debtor, Brown, in this case, has offered to pay everyone he owes back over time while still retaining control over his businesses.

"You know, anybody can sue you, take you for whatever you got," Brown said. "You know, at this point, I don't work, I don't make millions of dollars where it's coming in where I could just (pay off) some of that money. So, you know, Chapter 11 is about restructuring the money you're making so you can take care of the debt," he added.

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Everything we know about the New Orleans terrorism incident as Antonio Brown aims to raise $100K for the victims' families

Antonio Brown's GoFundMe page has since raised over $15,000 out of the $100,000 goal. With about 75% to go, alms have come in thus far from close to 300 donations at the time of writing. The page reads:

"This has nothing to do with me and everything to do with helping the families who lost their loved ones in New Orleans. I will work with Gofundme to make sure any dollar raised is split between the 14 families who lost their loved ones on January 1st. Prayers."

Per CNN, the assailant responsible for claiming the lives of at least 15 and leaving dozens more in critical condition has since been identified as an ISIS aspirant named Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42. On New Year's Day, he plowed through the masses celebrating in Baton Rouge in his pickup truck.

In the hours leading up to what is now being labeled an act of terrorism, Jabbar took to social media to upload videos expressing a desire to kill, noting that the Islamic State group had inspired him. As reported by CNN, the killer was a US citizen born in Texas and served in the army for several years. He also had a stint in the Army Reserve.

Having worked in Afghanistan, CNN reports that his initial plans were to gather his family after his divorce with the intention of a "celebration" before he would kill them. However, he reportedly decided to switch courses as he wanted the world to “war between the believers and the disbelievers."

In the wake of the New Orleans attack, President Joe Biden issued an official statement. Uploaded on the official White House Website, it reads:

"I know I can speak for all Americans when I say our hearts are with the people in New Orleans after the despicable attack that occurred in the early morning hours. To all the families of those who were killed, to all those who were injured, to all the people in New Orleans who are grieving today, I want you to know I grieve with you. Our nation grieves with you. We’re going to stand with you as you mourn and as you heal in the weeks to come."

It also states that "we have nothing additional to report at this time," and that "the investigation is continuing to be active, and no one should jump to conclusions."

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At the time of writing, investigations into the New Orleans incident are underway. The FBI is currently looking into the incident as an act of “terrorism,” and it remains unclear if the assailant acted alone.