A Mississippi police officer responded to a shooting early Sunday morning and discovered the victim was her son.
According to WLBT, authorities were called to Larkin Street, just blocks away from the Hazelhurst Police Department. When officer Laquandia Cooley arrived, she discovered her 20-year-old son Charles Stewart, Jr., lying in the middle of the street after being shot in the head.
“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,” she told the media outlet.
She added, “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?”
There is no information about what led to the shooting on Tuesday, and no arrests have been made.
“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 victim’s father, said he was in shock after learning of Stewart Jr.’s tragic death. He described his son as a good person who got along with everyone and did not bother anyone, WLBT reported.
“It’s traumatizing for the whole family. We’re just trying to cope day today,” he said. “Just trying to figure out why this happened and who could have did this.”
Police Chief Darian Murray confirmed the incident and informed the news outlet that the case would be handed over to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation since it involves a police officer’s family member.
The state agency did not comment on the pending investigation.
