Current:Home > MyRobert Brown|Police arrest 2 in killing of 'Boopac Shakur,' vigilante who lured alleged sex predators -Wealth Nexus Pro
Robert Brown|Police arrest 2 in killing of 'Boopac Shakur,' vigilante who lured alleged sex predators
Surpassing View
Date:2025-04-08 08:05:33
A man who often posed as a minor to expose alleged sexual predators to his tens of thousands of followers online was killed Friday in Michigan in a confrontation with two teenagers who've since been taken into custody,Robert Brown authorities say.
Robert Wayne Lee, who had over 50,000 combined followers across Facebook and Instagram and went by the moniker "Boopac Shakur," confronted two males – ages 17 and 18 – at a restaurant in Pontiac, a city about 20 miles northwest of Detroit, around 10:30 p.m. Friday, according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.
Lee, 40, accused one of the teens of being a pedophile and punched him. One teen took out a knife and the other, suspected to be the younger one, shot Lee several times before the pair fled the restaurant, police said.
Lee was taken to a hospital where he later died.
Teens arrested Saturday
The two suspects, believed to be from the Pontiac area, were arrested early Saturday afternoon in Pontiac, according to a news release from Oakland County Sheriff's Office.
Detectives were expected to turn the case over to prosecutors for potential charges on Sunday or Monday.
Police said Lee's running ruse, posing as a 15-year-old girl online, was at times successful, but also resulted in false accusations.
"His one-man crusade has led to the arrest and criminal charges being filed against several men," the sheriff's office said in its news release. "He has also mistakenly identified someone as a sexual predator who was not."
"While we certainly understand his desire to hold child predators accountable, many times well intentioned individuals who engaged in this don’t know the standard of evidence required for convictions and often underestimate the potential for violence confronting a suspected predator," said Oakland Sheriff Michael Bouchard. "They feel trapped and often lash out violently."
veryGood! (1393)
Related
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Maluma Is Officially a Silver Fox With New Salt and Pepper Hairstyle
- Without ‘Transformative Adaptation’ Climate Change May Threaten the Survival of Millions of Small Scale Farmers
- Arby's+? More restaurants try subscription programs to keep eaters coming back
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- Houston’s Mayor Asks EPA to Probe Contaminants at Rail Site Associated With Nearby Cancer Clusters
- Vine Star Tristan Simmonds Shares He’s Starting Testosterone After Coming Out as Transgender
- Wealthy Nations Continue to Finance Natural Gas for Developing Countries, Putting Climate Goals at Risk
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- Titanic Submersible Passenger Shahzada Dawood Survived Horrifying Plane Incident 5 Years Ago With Wife
Ranking
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Mod Sun Appears to Reference Avril Lavigne Relationship After Her Breakup With Tyga
- How Much Did Ancient Land-Clearing Fires in New Zealand Affect the Climate?
- Transcript: National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Face the Nation, July 16, 2023
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- A Deadly Summer in the Pacific Northwest Augurs More Heat Waves, and More Deaths to Come
- Texas city strictly limits water consumption as thousands across state face water shortages
- Titanic Sub Catastrophe: Passenger’s Sister Says She Would Not Have Gone on Board
Recommendation
Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
An Explosion in Texas Shows the Hidden Dangers of Tanks Holding Heavy Fuels
Texas city strictly limits water consumption as thousands across state face water shortages
Kesha and Dr. Luke Reach Settlement in Defamation Lawsuit After 9 Years
Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
With the World Focused on Reducing Methane Emissions, Even Texas Signals a Crackdown on ‘Flaring’
Reimagining Coastal Cities as Sponges to Help Protect Them From the Ravages of Climate Change
Is the Controlled Shrinking of Economies a Better Bet to Slow Climate Change Than Unproven Technologies?