Vigil held for teen shot by police

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

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north carolina news, cumberland county news, fayetteville news, shooting, local/state

FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- Friends and family held a candlelight vigil for a 16-year-old boy who was shot and killed by a Fayetteville police officer over the weekend.

One by one the crowd of dozens placed candles in the same area where Shaqur McNair was shot. Photos of him were posted on a tree in the yard.

Story: Officer involved in Fayetteville teen's shooting death

No one could have imagined that the little boy in the images in a white suit and clutching an Elmo doll would die in an officer involved shooting.

"He was a very mild mannered young man, never any problem," said McNair's uncle, Robert Alford.

McNair's mother, Alfricka Bennett, also attended the vigil. She was there Sunday night when an officer responded to her home for a domestic dispute call, and arrested her other son.

Bennett was arrested for allegedly attacking that officer, which police say was quickly followed by McNair ignoring warnings to back away then lifting his shirt to show a gun. That's when the officer fired.

"I'm feeling sad, but me, my friends, my family, we're getting through," said McNair's cousin, Alexis Mciver.

"We just want everybody to know the real Shaqur," said McNair's aunt, Clara McNair. "That Shaqur is not the gangbanger, the thug they're making him out to be. He's far from that."

Eyewitnesses say McNair had no gun. Police, however, say he had a stolen nine millimeter in his possession.

Meanwhile, police have released a list of emergency calls to the home. It includes calls for the fire department, EMS, and police.

A call log released by Fayetteville police shows over the past year the department and other agencies had responded to McNair's home about 20 times, including to look for a suspicious or wanted person. However, the bulk of the calls came in the day of the fatal shooting that claimed McNair's life.

Right now, the SBI is trying to figure out exactly what happened.

Officer Christopher Hunt remains on administrative leave during the investigation.