An 81-year-old Mississippi homeowner was killed with his own firearm during an alleged early-morning break-in, while his wife escaped and called 911, authorities said.
Union County Sheriff Jimmy Edwards told News Media 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, who gained control of the homeowner’s gun during the struggle and shot McGill several times.
Bobby McGill, right, is shown with his wife, Peggy. Authorities said he was killed with his own gun during a Mississippi home invasion, while Peggy escaped and called 911. (Haley McGill/Facebook)
Edwards said investigators believe the confrontation began when McGill tried to reach for a pistol kept in a chest at the foot of his bed. “It appears that there was a struggle that had ensued between the assailant and the homeowner,” the sheriff said, explaining that Basco may have taken the weapon during the fight before shooting McGill multiple times.
Peggy McGill made it out of the house and contacted emergency dispatchers, reporting that someone had entered the home and attacked her husband, Edwards said.
The sheriff said investigators believe burglary was the likely motive. After the shooting, Basco went into a bathroom and shot himself. He later died at a hospital.
Investigators also reviewed video recorded the night before the deadly home invasion. The footage appears to show Basco walking along a road roughly 1.5 miles from the McGill residence, raising his hands and shouting words that may have been “God is dead.”
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Authorities said Eric Basco allegedly entered Bobby McGill’s Mississippi home and used the homeowner’s gun to fatally shoot him. Basco later died in a hospital after shooting himself inside the residence, according to the sheriff. (Lake County Sheriff’s Office)
“It sounds like on the video that we saw that he was saying, ‘God is dead,’” Edwards said, while stressing that investigators could not confirm the words with complete certainty. He noted that McGill’s property displayed a cross and a sign reading, “Jesus is Lord,” but said it remained unknown whether those religious symbols had any connection to the attack.
“It was a very sad, tragic thing, just for no reason,” Edwards said.
Edwards said Basco had no known criminal record beyond minor traffic offenses. The sheriff suggested that Basco may have been experiencing a serious mental health issue or some other condition that affected his judgment.
He 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 both his faith and his family. (Haley McGill/Facebook)
In a Facebook tribute, McGill’s granddaughter wrote, “My Papaw loved the Lord above all else & he loved his family with his whole heart.”
“What a great man. He led his life by example of what it looks like to walk with Jesus. He made sure you couldn’t leave a conversation with him without hearing about Jesus. His faith became sight this morning,” she continued. “How lucky are we to have the hope of eternity so we can see him again one day. This world & the people in it can be so evil. Please be in prayer for our family in the days to come.”
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