Virgil Lee, 48, was found lying on the ground around 8:40 p.m. outside his home in the 2200 block of Kensington Drive in Dayton.
“Yes, we’ve got a man that’s been shot,” a 911 caller told dispatchers. “There’s some people, some people that had on masks, they came and shot him.”
Dayton police called in homicide detectives, and began looking for anyone who had information.
Nearby resident Bryan Still said he and his wife heard six or seven gunshots, and that his wife had heard arguing moments before the shooting.
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Lee’s family put balloons up outside the home Thursday. They said he lived alone in the house.
“He never bothered anybody, took care of all his kids and family,” said Lee’s sister, Jessica Hall.
Two dozen relatives gathered to share their grief. They don’t know what to make about the descriptions of masked men being involved.
“I don’t know nothing about that. I’m just preaching the good about my uncle. They killed a good man. That’s all I got to say,” said Lee’s nephew, Jeff Edwards.
Dayton police said Thursday that “initial information leads us to believe this crime was a targeted act and not a random occurrence.”
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Lee’s family is hopeful police can quickly track down the people responsible.
“Yeah, it was a shock. This is just getting out of control. People can’t even live their life. There’s always violence going on,” said Tynesha Horton, Lee’s niece.
Police have not made any arrests or identified any persons of interest.
Anyone who has information is urged to call CrimeStoppers at 937-222-STOP (7867).
Got a tip? Call our monitored 24-hour line, 937-259-2237, or send it to newsdesk@cmgohio.com.
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