An 81-year-old Mississippi man who openly shared his Christian faith was shot and killed during a home invasion.
According to Fox News Digital, Bobby McGill was asleep alongside his wife, Peggy, when Eric Basco allegedly broke into their home around 4 a.m. on Oct. 15. Union County Sheriff Jimmy Edwards said a struggle broke out between McGill and Basco as McGill apparently attempted to retrieve a handgun he kept near the foot of his bed.
Basco allegedly gained control of the weapon and shot McGill multiple times, killing him. Peggy McGill escaped and called 911. Basco later went into a bathroom and shot himself, authorities said. He subsequently died at a hospital.
While Edwards told Fox News that burglary appears to have been Basco’s likely motive, investigators later discovered something that raised a disturbing question.
Video reportedly recorded the evening before the killing showed Basco walking along a road about 1.5 miles from the McGill home, raising his hands and apparently shouting, “God is dead.”
Edwards cautioned that investigators are not entirely certain that those words were Basco’s.
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But outside McGill’s home stood two unmistakable declarations of faith: a cross and a sign proclaiming, “Jesus is Lord.”
Edwards openly questioned whether those displays could have drawn Basco toward the home, while stressing that authorities do not know.
And they may never know.
What is clear, however, is exactly where McGill stood.
His granddaughter remembered him on Facebook as a man who “loved the Lord above all else” and lived as an example of what walking with Jesus looks like.
“He made sure you couldn’t leave a conversation with him without hearing about Jesus,” she wrote.
During this time, pray for McGill’s family and friends as they navigate this incredibly grievous time.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
