Lonnie A. Ray of Darlington County, S.C., had bred and bought dogs for some time, and he knew what security precautions to take when arranging a sale, in accordance with Daniel Simon, the sheriff of Lee County.
On Monday night time, Sheriff Simon mentioned, Mr. Ray, 76, introduced a good friend alongside for the deliberate sale of a French bulldog for $2,500, which was to happen at a public spot — the car parking zone of a KFC in Bishopville, S.C.
But the sale, which was deliberate on-line, by no means occurred. Instead of encountering a purchaser, Mr. Ray was attacked by three or 4 folks and shot not less than 3 times, the sheriff mentioned. They additionally took the canine, a puppy. Mr. Ray died an hour later at Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center in Hartsville, S.C.
“He’s a cancer survivor, he’s been in the Vietnam War. He survived that,” Sheriff Simon mentioned. “He thought that he was just going to make a sale of a dog. He not only loses the French bulldog, but he lost his life in the process.”
The assailants additionally shot at Mr. Ray’s good friend, a 77-year-old man, however he was unhurt. The three or 4 attackers had been nonetheless at giant on Wednesday night time, and the canine was nonetheless lacking.
“We consider them armed and dangerous,” the sheriff mentioned. “It’s uncalled-for. It’s just senseless and heartless.”
The brazen and lethal theft was significantly stunning as Lee County, a group of about 16,000 people with manufacturing crops and farming space about 50 miles from Columbia, S.C., typically has solely about three to 5 homicides a 12 months, the sheriff mentioned.
French bulldogs have change into some of the costly canine breeds within the United States, with costs typically reaching $6,000 for a puppy. And individuals who have them have more and more been the victims of gunpoint theft in locations together with Miami, New York, Chicago, Houston and throughout California.
In 2021, Lady Gaga’s canine walker was choked and shot throughout a theft of two of the singer’s French bulldogs in Los Angeles. The shooter was sentenced to 21 years in jail.
Video footage from a digicam on the KFC, which is alongside Interstate 20, didn’t seize the taking pictures, Sheriff Simon mentioned. The sheriff’s workplace is cleansing spotty footage from a surveillance digicam at a close-by comfort retailer.
The attackers will doubtlessly face expenses together with homicide, tried homicide, grand larceny and possession of a weapon throughout a violent crime, Sheriff Simon mentioned.
Mr. Ray, who was retired, was a canine lover who took excellent care of the animals he bred, which used to incorporate looking dogs along with the French bulldogs, the sheriff mentioned. He was the daddy of two sons and two daughters, he mentioned.
Mr. Ray would promote his French bulldogs after they had been between six and 12 weeks previous, Sheriff Simon mentioned.
An post-mortem can be carried out on Mr. Ray on Friday morning, mentioned Larry Logan, the Lee County coroner, including that officers will then be capable to affirm what number of occasions he was shot.
Mr. Logan mentioned that when he was referred to as to the hospital on Monday night time, he instantly acknowledged Mr. Ray. The two used to hunt raccoons collectively greater than 30 years in the past.
“Lonnie was a good fellow,” he mentioned.
