Elderly Mississippi Man Killed With Own Gun in Random Home Invasion; Sheriff Probes Possible Religious Motive
An 81-year-old Mississippi man was killed after an alleged burglar wrestled away his firearm and shot him inside his home, authorities said. His wife escaped the attack and contacted emergency services.
Union County Sheriff Jimmy Edwards told News Outlet that Eric Basco allegedly entered Bobby McGill’s residence at about 4 a.m. Thursday as McGill and his wife, Peggy, slept.
According to Edwards, McGill confronted Basco and the two men struggled. Basco gained control of McGill’s gun and fired several shots, fatally wounding the homeowner.
Bobby McGill, right, pictured with his wife, Peggy, was killed after an alleged intruder used the homeowner’s own gun during a Mississippi home invasion. Peggy escaped and called 911, authorities said. (Haley McGill/Facebook)
Investigators believe McGill kept a pistol in a chest near the foot of his bed. Edwards said the available evidence suggests McGill may have tried to retrieve the weapon during the confrontation, but Basco overpowered him and used it to shoot him repeatedly.
Peggy McGill made it out of the house and called 911, telling dispatchers that someone had entered the residence and attacked her husband, the sheriff said.
Edwards said the incident appeared to have begun as a burglary. After the shooting, Basco reportedly went into a bathroom and shot himself. He later died at a hospital.
Investigators also reviewed video recorded the night before the fatal home invasion. The footage appears to show Basco walking along a road roughly 1.5 miles from McGill’s home, raising his hands and shouting words that may have been, “God is dead,” Edwards said.
Authorities said Eric Basco allegedly entered Bobby McGill’s Mississippi home and fatally shot him with McGill’s own firearm. Basco later died at a hospital after shooting himself inside the house, according to the sheriff. (Lake County Sheriff’s Office)
Edwards cautioned that investigators could not confirm exactly what Basco said in the video. He noted that McGill’s yard contained a cross and a sign reading, “Jesus is Lord,” and said authorities had considered whether those displays played any role in drawing Basco to the property. The sheriff stressed that there was no evidence proving such a connection.
“It was a very sad, tragic thing, just for no reason,” Edwards said.
The sheriff said Basco had no known criminal record beyond minor traffic offenses. Edwards added that Basco may have been experiencing a serious mental or psychological problem that affected his judgment.
Edwards described Bobby and Peggy McGill as “very good citizens.”
Bobby McGill reads a Bible in a family photo. His granddaughter remembered the Mississippi home invasion victim as a devoted Christian who cherished his family and faith. (Haley McGill/Facebook)
In a Facebook tribute, McGill’s granddaughter wrote that her grandfather “loved the Lord above all else” and loved his family “with his whole heart.”
She remembered him as a man who lived out his Christian faith and made sure conversations with him often included a message about Jesus. “His faith became sight this morning,” she wrote, adding that the family drew comfort from the hope of seeing him again in eternity. She asked others to pray for the family as they mourn his death.
