A man who was deemed “the best breeder in South Carolina” has passed away after he was shot and killed in the parking lot of a KFC restaurant whilst meeting someone to sell a French bulldog..
On Monday, 76-year-old Lonnie Ray set out to Bishopville, South Carolina – an area located around one hour away from Columbia, South Carolina. He had the intention of selling a dog to a customer at a neutral location.
Ray brought along a friend of his to come along for the journey, just as he had done on previous occasions, according to reports from WBTW. The friend was not publically identified or injured during the altercation.
Daniel Simon, the Lee County Sherriff, described what took place at the scene of the dog breeder’s murder. He said, “Here he met the gentlemen. He had a passenger in the vehicle with him. When they went to do the exchange for the dog, the guy snatched the leash from him and pulled out a handgun and started firing.”
Ray was taken to a hospital in the vicinity, where he passed away.
Prior to his passing, the man had conquered grave medical issues. He reportedly fought cancer and fought in wars during his time in the military. His family was brokenhearted at the thought of Lonnie Ray winning those battles for life, yet losing it during something as small as a French bulldog sale.
The sheriff made a remark that Ray’s death is the most recent in the vicinity, and the authorities are making preparations to install surveillance cameras in the vicinity to prevent further homicides.