Photo: GoFundMe
A Michigan man known for exposing alleged child predators online was shot and killed after confronting two teenagers last Friday (September 29), the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said in a news release obtained by CNN on Sunday (October 1).
Robert Wayne Lee, 40, known by his online personality as 'Boopac Shakur,' confronted two teenagers -- a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old -- at a restaurant in Pontiac, accusing one of being a pedophile and punching him, the department said. The teen who was punched reportedly pulled out a knife while the other -- believed to be the 17-year-old -- used a pistol to shoot Lee several times. Lee was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to the injuries sustained in the shooting.
The suspects reportedly fled the scene but were arrested Saturday (September 30) afternoon, although their identities have not yet publicly been released by authorities. Lee, who had previously published videos of himself engaging in violent confrontations with alleged predators, which led to "criminal charges being filed against several men," including a former police officer, but also incidents in which he "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,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard said via CNN.
A GoFundMe page entitled 'Honoring a Hero' was launched to honor Lee following news of his death.