Have greed and materialism infiltrated society to the point that life is actually valued less than things like money, cars, and clothes? Some might say that yes, they have. A curious case out of Florida sheds light on the topic…
In late July of 2018, a Florida man became the victim of a senseless attack, all because someone allegedly valued a couple pairs of shoes over his life. When witnesses described what happened, and after some investigating, the police had an idea of who might be responsible: a man already suspected of homicide.
Trusting to a Fault
Normally, parents hope that their children will grow up to be kind, forgiving, and trusting. However, according to one mother from Florida, those very attributes were the very things that put her son, who she thinks was trusting to a fault, in danger.
To Kind for His Own Good
When her son was a child, the mother loved how gentle and sweet he was. But as he got older and started high school, she started to see that those qualities also put her son, who wanted to see the good in everyone, at risk.
The Wrong Crowd
While he was a student at Palm Beach Gardens High School, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, the teenager ended up making friends with people that his mother considered, “the wrong crowd.” Unfortunately, her son didn’t see it the same way.
A Warning
Since he trusted everyone and saw only the best in them, he couldn’t see that these new friends were really just bringing him down. At one point, the high school’s principal even contacted the boy’s mother to warn her that her son was too smart and polite to be brought down by the group of troublemakers.
A Better Path
Before it was too late, Lisa Huggins sent son Warren Hallback, her third of five children, to a military high school in Georgia. After graduating from high school, Warren attended trade school and started saving his money after getting a job as a handyman.
A Tireless Worker
After Warren got a job in construction, he even promised his mother that one day he would build her a house. When the hard worker wasn’t at his construction job, he worked a job at a food truck and also earned money doing tattoo art.
A Bad Influence
Warren was focused on working hard and saving his money, while his friends and peers spent more of their time thinking about partying and making quick money through illegal means. Naturally, Lisa was worried about her son and the people he considered friends.
Dragging Him Down
Just like when he was a teenager in high school, Lisa worried that her son, who she described as “too kind,” would fail to see that his friends were bad influences. And the longer he remained friends with them, the more likely they would drag him down.
Planning a New Start
Finally, however, Lisa was relieved that her son would stay on the right path and out of trouble. After a time of worry and uncertainty, the phone rang. Warren called to tell Lisa and his stepfather that he was considering moving back home to be closer to them.
Too Late for a Fresh Start
If Warren wasn’t around his degenerate and criminal “friends,” Lisa knew that there was no way his potential could be hindered. Sadly, however, Warren never got the chance for a fresh start at home near his parents and away from the bad group of boys he hung around with.
The Frantic Call
On the 28th of July, 2018, Lisa got a call from a woman who frantically told her that someone named Chuck had been killed. At the time, Lisa didn’t know that the woman was talking about Warren, whose friends had nicknamed him “Chuck Taylor.”
Bop’s Dead
It wasn’t until the screaming woman called the man Bop that Lisa realized the tragic news was about Warren, who she sometimes called Bop when he was younger. At that moment, Lisa didn’t want to believe the news was true. But she had no choice but to find out the truth.
The Tragic Truth
Lisa, who was in California when she first heard the news, called everyone she still knew that lived in Florida to find out if the woman on the phone was telling the truth or spreading a tragic rumor. Sadly, she found out the news was true and immediately headed to the airport to fly to Florida.
An Investigation Begins
Meanwhile, police opened an investigation into the shooting that killed Warren after finding him dead outside of a home known for drugs and prostitution-related activities. While speaking to witnesses in the neighborhood, police learned that a man, who they believed was McKenzly Edwards Jr., fled the scene on foot wearing a camouflage jacket.
The Suspect
After finding the jacket matching witnesses’ description, police officers arrested Edwards. In the hours that followed, police also found Edwards’ fingerprints on a box of ammunition in the home, which was illegal since Edwards was a felon.
A Senseless Death
During the investigation, police also found out that Warren’s senseless death may have been brought on by something as trivial as missing sneakers. On the afternoon of the shooting, Edwards became furious after a few boxes of his shoes went missing and he thought someone had stolen them.
A Deadly Threat
When he arrived at the house where he’s thought to have ran his drug dealing business, Edwards demanded everyone leave, shouting that “anyone who steals from KP is gonna die.” According to police, Edwards’s nickname is “Kenny Poo Poo” or simply “KP.”
The Shooting
Police haven’t revealed if Warren really did steal Edward’s sneakers, but Edwards seemed to believe he was behind the theft. So when 25-year-old Warren showed up at the house 15 minutes later, Edwards allegedly followed through with his threat and shot Warren six times.
A Wanted Criminal
Within a few days, police had enough evidence to charge Edwards with Warren’s murder. For now, Edwards is in custody and has started going through the court system. While Warren’s life was senselessly taken, police are just glad to get a dangerous criminal, who had evaded them for months and was wanted for various attempted homicide charges, off the streets.
An Unbelievable Loss
“He’s a dangerous person,” said Sgt. Jesse Sandusky, spokesman for Alachua police, who is glad Edwards will finally be punished for his various crimes. For Lisa, however, her son’s death still doesn’t make any sense. “It was a shock. I just couldn’t believe it,” said Lisa, who was contacted by people who knew and loved Warren in the wake of his murder and told her countless stories of the ways he helped them. “He had such a big heart.”
Man Accused of Ending Former Friend’s Life After Allegedly Stealing Shoes is an article from: LifeDaily