MIAMI — Police have detained three people in the Fort Myers area for questioning in the death of Washington Redskins football star Sean Taylor.

A law enforcement official in Lee County confirmed that three men were in custody, but requested anonymity because the investigation is being handled by Miami-Dade County police. Taylor’s father, Pedro Taylor, also confirmed that three men were detained as did family friend Richard Sharpstein.

The 24-year-old Pro Bowl safety was attacked at his Miami area home Monday and died a day later.

Miami-Dade police would not confirm if anyone was in custody, saying only that detectives were in the Fort Myers area for an unspecified case.

“Our detectives are out there in Fort Myers conducting an investigation, gathering information, and at this particular time they are not comfortable releasing any information regarding their investigation, and as soon as information develops that will not jeopardize their case, they will release information,” a police spokesman, Robert Williams, said.

The Miami Herald, which first reported the development on its Web site, said investigators believe the men learned of Taylor’s house through someone who unwittingly set up the burglary by bragging about Taylor’s wealth. The suspects include two teenagers and a man in his 20s, all from the Fort Myers area, the paper reported.

Pedro Taylor, who is Florida’s City’s police chief, told reporters at an afternoon news conference that he had little information other than the fact that Miami-Dade police told him three men were detained.

“They won’t go into details because they don’t want to compromise the case,” Mr. Taylor said, adding he also didn’t want to do anything to hurt the case.

Mr. Sharpstein, without disclosing who had given him the information, said it was his understanding that “three individuals are in custody. A house is being searched.”

He repeated previous statements that the burglary did not appear to be random and that the player’s house had been targeted.

Taylor’s teammates and friends were measured in responding to the developments.

“I can’t get excited or get my hopes up hoping these are the guys until we know for sure,” running back Clinton Portis said.

“If those are the guys, I just hope that they’ll just be dealt with properly. I feel there’s nothing much I can say about it. It’s no anger I can express to them. What’s done is done,” receiver Santana Moss said.

Evidence at Taylor’s home indicated one or more intruders barged into the house early Monday in an attempted burglary, a Miami-Dade police director, Robert Parker, said Wednesday.

Taylor and longtime girlfriend, Jackie Garcia, were awakened by loud noises at Taylor’s home in an affluent Miami suburb, Mr. Sharpstein has said. Taylor grabbed a machete he keeps in the bedroom for protection, Mr. Sharpstein said, then someone broke through the bedroom door and fired two shots, one missing and one hitting Taylor in the upper leg. Neither the couple’s 18-month-old daughter, also named Jackie, nor Ms. Garcia were injured.

The bullet damaged the femoral artery in Taylor’s leg, causing significant blood loss. Taylor never regained consciousness and died a little more than 24 hours later.

A public viewing is scheduled Sunday in Miami, and the entire Redskins organization plans to fly to Florida to attend Monday’s funeral at Pharmed Arena at Florida International University.