A Mississippi police officer responding to a shooting over the weekend discovered that the victim was her son.
Authorities were called to the scene on Larkin Street — just blocks from the Hazlehurst Police Department — early Sunday morning, according to NBC affiliate WLBT of Jackson.
“We initially responded to the call, not knowing when I made it over there, the person was going to be my son that was laying there,” Officer Laquandia Cooley told the news station.
Charles Stewart Jr., 20, was dead in the middle of the street with a gunshot wound to the head.
“As we get out, I look and I was like, ‘This is my son, this is my son,'” Cooley said. “So, I literally just go into a breakdown, you know? Like, why? Who would do this to my son?”
It was not clear Tuesday what led to the shooting or if an arrest had been made in the case.
“I couldn’t even believe what I was seeing. I was seeing my own son laying there on the ground dead. It was pretty much a panic. It was just, it was too much,” Cooley said.
Charles Stewart, the shooting victim’s father, described his son as a good person who got along with everyone.
“It’s traumatizing for the whole family. We’re just trying to cope day to day,” he said. “Just trying to figure out why this happened and who could have did this.”
Chief Darian Murray confirmed the incident to NBC News. He told the local news station that the case will be handled by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation because it involves an officer’s family member.
The state agency did not immediately reply to NBC News’ request for comment.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
