Chad Woods allegedly shot and killed Jeffrey McKay after McKay struck and killed Woods’ son, Chad Woods Jr. (Woods mugshot, left inset, screenshot from Fox News; Crime scene and Chad Woods Jr. from Raleigh, North Carolina, NBC affiliate WRAL)
A dad shot and killed a North Carolina state corrections employee who allegedly hit and killed the man’s 17-year-old son as he and his parents were walking home after running out of gas.
Chad Woods, 41, faces charges of second-degree murder and other charges in the death of 39-year-old Jeffrey McKay early Monday outside of Durham, North Carolina. He was being held in the Person County Detention Center. He’s set to appear in court on Aug. 21. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had a lawyer.
McKay, an electrical supervisor in the central engineering division of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, hit Woods’ son, Chad Woods Jr., and stopped to call 911 to report the crash when the suspect shot McKay, authorities said.
Woods allegedly threw his gun into a pond, took McKay’s truck and drove home less than a mile away, where he was arrested, police said.
“He was just out of it, going off and stuff. He was going, ‘He just he killed my son. He killed my son,’” Lawrence Clayborn, Woods’ father, told Durham’s ABC affiliate WTVD.
The brother of the elder Woods was shocked was baffled by it all.
“I’m at a loss for words,” he told ABC Chicago. “I’m just a little confused.”
The teen’s brother was crushed.
“He was a good person. He was a real good person,” he told ABC11. “Wanted to be an IT technician. He wanted to be positive in life. He wanted to help people. He was a people person.”
Melody Moore heard the commotion from her porch.
“It sounds like they’re yelling for help, so probably about two minutes after that, I heard two gunshots, like back to back, just pow pow!” she told NBC Raleigh affiliate WRAL. “And then it got really quiet. I felt like someone had just been harmed.”
Patti Elliot was shocked when a line of police cars showed up to investigate.
“I thought it was just a car accident,” she told local affiliate CBS 17. “That was my first concern. But when I walked across the road and looked, I never did see a car.”
Person County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Kevin Morris told reporters this was nothing like he had seen before.
“I’ve been to people struck by cars, and I’ve been to shootings, but I haven’t ever had this happen at the same time,” he told WTVD. “Sad situation all around, for all the families.”
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