A 60-year-old security guard was shot and killed at a Mississippi convenience store Monday morning by three teenage suspects who have been charged with capital murder.
A security guard was shot and killed at a Mississippi convenience store Monday morning, according to police. Two 17-year-old boys and a 16-year-old boy were charged with capital murder in connection with the incident.
Roy Love, 60, was working security at M&M Food Express at 516 Cooper Road in Jackson, Mississippi, when he was shot and killed in the early hours of the morning, Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade said at a news conference.
Security Guard Murdered in Mississippi, Three Teenagers Charged
Two 17-year-old boys and a 16-year-old boy are charged with capital murder in the shooting death of 60-year-old Roy Love, who was working security at M&M Food Express in Jackson, Mississippi. (Google Earth)
At about 1:30 a.m., Love approached the three teenagers and asked them to leave, according to Wade.
Security Guard Murdered in Mississippi, Three Teenagers Charged
"They subsequently attacked him. They took his weapon, and they fired upon him with their weapon," Wade said.
The chief said the motive of the teenagers, who already had a gun, was to steal Love's firearm.
Security Guard Murdered in Mississippi, Three Teenagers Charged
"And they succeeded," Wade said.
Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade said video footage of the incident between Roy Love, 60, and the three teens showed that Love never drew his gun. (Jackson Police Department/Facebook)
Wade said video footage of the incident showed that Love never drew his gun.
After the shooting, two of the teenagers ran away on foot and the other one fled on a bicycle, Wade said.
Police arrested the three suspects within hours of the encounter.
The teenagers, whose names have not been released, are being held at the Jackson City Jail.
Love's death is the second high-profile murder of a security guard in Jackson in recent months.
In March, a security guard was shot and killed at a downtown Jackson restaurant.
The suspects in that case have not been arrested.
Jackson has seen a surge in violent crime in recent years.
In 2021, the city recorded 150 homicides, the highest number in its history.
The city is on pace to surpass that number this year.
As of July 8, there have been 80 homicides in Jackson, according to the Jackson Police Department.
The city's violent crime rate is more than double the national average.
Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade said the city is working to address the problem.
"We're doing everything we can to reduce violent crime in our city," Wade said.
"We're working with our community partners to identify the root causes of crime and develop solutions to address them."
But Wade said the city needs help from the state and federal government.
"We need more resources to hire more police officers and invest in crime prevention programs," Wade said.
"We can't do this alone."
