In the early morning hours of March 28, 2017, the life of 26-year-old Lee Andrew McGee, a Black / African American male, was tragically cut short in Louisville, Kentucky. McGee, a former standout basketball player at Central High School, was a father to a young son and daughter. Just after leaving a local nightclub with friends, he made a stop at Dino's Food Mart at the intersection of 26th Street and West Broadway.
It was in the parking lot of this convenience store, at approximately 1:30 a.m., that the fatal encounter unfolded.
Security cameras from the store captured the harrowing moments. The footage shows a man in a dark-colored hoodie waiting outside the entrance. When McGee arrived, the man pulled out a gun and opened fire. McGee attempted to shield himself, but he was struck by multiple gunshots, including one to the chest. He was rushed to University Hospital, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead at 1:44 a.m. The incident marked the 24th murder in Louisville for that year.
The investigation into the shooting quickly identified a suspect, Charlie Shoulders, then 24 years old. Police discovered that Shoulders and McGee were acquainted through the west Louisville club scene. According to McGee's family, the two had been involved in a dispute over a woman. The surveillance video proved to be a critical piece of evidence. In the footage, after shooting McGee, Shoulders also accidentally shot his own brother in the groin before fleeing the scene, leaving his brother behind.
Following a two-week manhunt, detectives with the Louisville Metro Police Department arrested Charlie Shoulders. A grand jury subsequently indicted him on charges of murder and assault. The arrest brought a small measure of relief to McGee's grieving family, who had made public pleas for witnesses to come forward and assist the police in their investigation.
