An elderly man in Ohio shot and killed a woman he believed to be part of a phone scam in an attempt to extort money, but police say the woman was an Uber driver sent by the scammers.
The tragic shooting was captured on surveillance video from a South Charleston man’s home on March 25th.
William Bullock, 81, told investigators he shot Loretha Hall, 61, because he and his family were threatened by a scammer over the phone.
Clark County Sheriff’s Lt. Christopher Schultz said, “Mr. Bullock received a fraudulent phone call from someone claiming to be a court official who informed him that a family member was incarcerated and had a large bail amount.” Ta. office.
The callers then stopped pretending to be court officials and claimed they had kidnapped the hostages for ransom, Schultz said.
The scammers then sent money to the man’s home over the phone, forcing Hall to pick it up.
“Mr. Hall had no idea,” Schultz said.
Investigators said Bullock demanded that Hall tell her where she worked, then grabbed her cell phone and stopped her from leaving.
“He shot her once as she tried to flee, and there was further interaction between them afterward,” Schultz explained. At some point, Mr. Bullock shot Mr. Hall a second time, wounding him in the head. There was more conversation with her, after which he shot her a third time. After shooting her a third time, he contacted authorities for the first time to report her incident. ”
Court documents say the victim was not armed and did not threaten Bullock.
An Uber spokesperson said the company has been in contact with the victim’s family and is cooperating with the investigation.
“This is a terrible tragedy and our hearts remain with Loresa’s loved ones as they grieve,” the spokesperson said.
The company said the person who ordered the Uber was banned from the platform, but law enforcement has not said whether anyone else has been arrested or identified in the incident.
Bullock was charged with murder and posted $200,000 bail. If convicted, he could face 15 years to life in prison or a $15,000 fine.
Video of the horrifying incident is below.
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