Mother: Father who shot son said he feared for his life

Father of Amos Lee, 27, was not charged with crime in deadly shooting

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville mother is mourning the loss of her son after she says his father shot him outside his father's home.

The father of Amos Lee, 27, was questioned and released, and he was not charged with a crime, according to investigators. Lee's mother said his father shot the gun because he told her he feared for his life.

Tonnette McKeiver wears a gold necklace wrapped around her neck. It was a gift her son gave her on the day he died.

"I miss my son. We were very close," McKeiver said. "He was a lovable son. He made you laugh. He had a good heart, a good spirit, and I just don't understand why this could have happened to him at a young age."

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McKeiver said her son battled with anger and addiction.

Police said Lee was shot and killed Aug. 8 outside his father's home on Wood Avenue. McKeiver said

the father called police after his son became aggressive and fired a shot through a window as a warning.

The bullet, however, struck her son.

"He said he felt afraid for his life. But my understanding, how can you be afraid for your life if your child is outside? He said, 'My son is trying to throw a propane tank in the window' but why shoot?" McKeiver said. "That's why I'm so hurt."

Court records show Lee's father filed a domestic violence injunction against him in 2013.

"Even when he put a restraining order on him, he still stayed in the house," McKeiver said. "My husband still loves him and he didn't want him in the street. He still stayed there with him."

McKeiver said she never got to see her son in the hospital or tell him goodbye. She hopes her son's death will inspire other families to seek help when dealing with loved ones who have anger issues or struggle with addiction.


About the Author

Corley Peel is a Texas native and Texas Tech graduate who covered big stories in Joplin, Missouri, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Jacksonville, Florida before returning to the Lone Star State. When not reporting, Corley enjoys hot yoga, Tech Football, and finding the best tacos in town.

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