A Black teen in the state of Mississippi has died days after police shot him in the head outside a discount store, and his relatives are questioning the actions of the police officers.
Police shot 15-year-old Jaheim McMillan in the parking lot of a Family Dollar store in Gulfport on Thursday, October 6. Gulfport is Mississippi's second-most-populous city after Jackson, which is located about 160 miles to the north.
Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer said that McMillan died shortly before 5 p.m. on Saturday after the teen was taken off life support at USA Health University Hospital in Mobile, Alabama. Switzer confirmed the death to the Sun Herald newspaper of Biloxi.
Shots fired after police engaged McMillan
Gulfport police issued a news release, saying that the shooting happened around 2:30 p.m. after they responded to a 911 call about several minors threatening other motorists by waving guns at them.
According to the release, the minors fled the vehicle when cops arrived at the scene. According to Gulfport Police Chief Adam Cooper, an officer engaged an armed suspect, who was since identified as McMillan, resulting in shots being fired.
Police said the suspect was transported to a local hospital after suffering from a single gunshot wound. The police department has not released the race of the officer who shot the victim, according to Revolt. The statement said that the officer had been placed on non-enforcement duties in accordance with their procedures.
McMillan could be seen in a video recorded by a bystander after the shots were fired. He was on the ground in front of the door to the store. A witness said cops handcuffed McMillan after he had been shot. According to Cooper, police took four other suspects into custody, all believed to be minors. Several firearms were recovered in those arrests.
The family of McMillan does not believe he was armed, though, and their supporters called for the release of video of the teen's shooting.
McMillan's grandma says pain is indescribable
According to NBC News, community members released balloons on Sunday in McMillan's memory. They also staged a protest in front of the Gulfport Police Department.
McMillan's grandmother Michelle Warren said that the pain is indescribable and it is just like a hole in her heart. She added that they just snatched a part of her heart out, and she is still trying to process what happened to her grandson, getting shot in the head.
McMillan is survived by his mom, Katrina Mateen, and other relatives. Sandy East, a spokesperson for the school district, confirmed that McMillan studied at Gulfport High School, where he was a ninth-grade student.
East said that they are very sad about the situation, and they are offering all of their students counseling and support if they need it.
