An 81-year-old Ohio man has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting and killing an Uber driver he thought was trying to scam him.
William Bullock was charged in Clark County Municipal Court with one count of murder in connection with the death of 61-year-old Loretha Hall.
Last month, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said a 911 call was made to report that Bullock had shot a man he was trying to rob at a property in South Charleston, according to a local CBS station.
When paramedics arrived at the scene, they found Hall suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and Bullock suffering from head and ear injuries.
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William Block booking photo (Clark County Sheriff’s Office)
A preliminary investigation revealed that Bullock was the victim of a phone scam involving an incarcerated relative, and the scammers allegedly blackmailed Bullock and demanded money.
Hall, who was working as an Uber driver, became involved in the scam after receiving communications through the Uber application from the same scammer who contacted Block.
The scammers allegedly asked Hall to go to Block’s house to pick up a package for delivery. But investigators reportedly said Hall didn’t know about the fraud when he drove to Bullock’s home to pick up the package.
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William Bullock was seen pointing a gun at Loretha Hall in March before he was shot and killed. (Clark County Sheriff’s Office)
The sheriff’s office reportedly said Hall was unarmed and had a medical condition. She also did not make any threats or requests to Bullock other than to pick up the package the Uber app sent her.
When Hall arrived at Bullock’s home, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at her, demanding the identities of the people he spoke to on the phone.
Dashcam video of the incident shows Hall walking toward the house and Bullock pointing a gun at her. Once they were out of frame, Hall could be heard saying, “Stop, stop, call 911.”
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Police said William Bullock was the victim of a phone scam involving an incarcerated relative, and the scammer asked Bullock for money. (St. Petersburg)
A gunshot rang out soon after, and Bullock said, “No, I’m not leaving,” and demanded he hand over his phone.
As five more shots were fired, Hall could be heard screaming horribly for help, followed by Bullock again telling him to hand over the phone.
Hall continued to scream and dash footage showed Bullock saying he was going to shoot her in the head.
“Please don’t do that. Please don’t do that,” Hall said.
Hall was shot as he tried to leave in his car, and Bullock was injured during a scuffle between the two near the car door. He allegedly shot Hall two more times.
The sheriff’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiries about the incident.
Uber told Fox News Digital that it has spoken with Hall’s family and has them in mind.
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The company also announced that the accounts of people who ordered Uber services have been banned.
An Uber spokesperson said: “This is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts remain with Loresa’s loved ones as they grieve.” “We remain in contact with law enforcement and remain committed to assisting with the investigation.”
