A man accused of shooting and killing an Atlanta musician who was livestreaming on Facebook is in police custody, officials in North Carolina said.
Douglas Colson, 65, surrendered Tuesday, according to WSOC-TV in Charlotte, N.C. Police had been looking for him since Monday, when 55-year-old Prentis Robinson inadvertently broadcast his own murder during a Facebook Live in North Carolina.
Robinson was filming himself with a selfie stick in the Charlotte suburb of Wingate when he was attacked.
Throughout most of the Facebook Live, Robinson was walking outside and talking to the camera about his cellphone being stolen. Later into the video, he visited the Wingate Police Department to report the theft. The Charlotte Observer reported that a police department official spoke to the camera during the livestream, admonishing whoever had taken Robinson’s phone to “Bring his phone back so he can get on with his way today.”
SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER: Know what's really going on with crime and public safety in your metro Atlanta community. Get the latest breaking crime news, trial coverage, trends and unsolved cases. Sign up for our AJC newsletter delivered weekly to your inbox.
It was not immediately clear what device Robinson used to conduct the Facebook Live, which is no longer posted on his page.
Several minutes into the video, a man with a long gun approached Robinson from off-camera.
“You on live,” Robinsion told the man several times, apparently attempting to warn him he was being livestreamed on Facebook. Four shots rang out and the camera dropped to the ground, capturing an image of tree branches for the remainder of the broadcast.
Nearby Wingate University and Wingate Elementary School were both placed on a precautionary lockdown while police searched for the shooter.
WSOC-TV reported that Robinson’s attack may have been retaliatory, but The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has not independently confirmed this.
Police told the news station Robinson often went on Facebook Live to expose neighborhood problems and even call out suspected drug dealers.
Robinson regularly filmed his daily life on Facebook Live. His Facebook page, which describes him as a “song writer” and “music maker” is filled with videos of him playing guitar and walking with a selfie stick.
A commenter on one of Robinson’s previous Facebook Live videos wrote after the man’s death:”Keep ur [mouth] close…it is now permanently so no worries.”
About the Author
