A Mississippi teen has lost his life after he was shot outside a Clarksdale home Monday night according to USA Today.
His family believes the teen’s relationship with the gunman’s daughter led to his death.
The shooter is a former police officer in the area and police said the call was initially reported as a residential burglary.
Mississippi Bureau of Investigation detectives have taken over the murder probe after police in Clarksdale said officers there have a conflict of interest in the case.
Here’s what we know about the shooting and the investigation into 15-year-old Cornelius McGee Jr.’s death.
The shooting happened just before 4:30 p.m. Monday outside a home in Clarksdale, about 100 miles southwest of Memphis, the Clarksdale Police Department told USA TODAY.
Officers were called to the home of a former CPD police officer about a residential burglary.
When officers arrived, they found the homeowner at the scene, along with one person dead on arrival.
Where was Cornelius McGee Jr. shot?
The teenager was fatally shot at a home in the 1200 block of West Second Street, Clarksdale police told USA TODAY.
Online records show that a homeowner there matches the name of a former CPD employee.
The city of Clarksdale posted documents showing that a police department employee with the same name resigned effective April 10, and as of Wednesday, a LinkedIn page with the officer’s name lists the Clarksdale Police Department as his employer.
Officers called the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation to take over the investigation since the case involves a former CPD officer, Chief of Police Robbie Linley told USA TODAY.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said Tuesday afternoon that it is “actively gathering information” on the shooting.
“At this time, it is not considered to be an officer-involved shooting,” wrote the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
What the teenager’s family says
McGee’s mother Jacqueline Rash said her son was dating the former officer’s daughter, which upset the man.
She told WHBQ the man warned her son not to go to his house to visit his daughter.
When he found the teenager at his house, the teen tried to run away, the boy’s mother told Memphis television station WHBQ.
While the teenager was climbing a fence, the man fired a gun, hitting the teenager.
Rash shared a post in support of her son Tuesday, saying he was loved.
The poster encouraged people to focus on the goodness of him, including him being a “wonderful” big brother.
“The best son, good uncle, great athlete,” one person wrote. “That’s all we want to see … JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED.”
When his mother shared the post, she added a caption of her own.
“Justice for my baby,” she wrote.
