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Lonnie Alford Ray, a 76-year-old dog breeder, was killed while trying to sell a French Bulldog outside a South Carolina KFC.
On Monday, February 6, 2023, Lonnie Alford Ray arrived at the KFC Parking lot on Sumter Hwy in Bishopville with a French Bulldog that he had planned to sell. Shortly after his arrival, Ray was ambushed by several dognappers who killed him and fled the scene with the dog.
Lonnie Alford Ray was reportedly accompanied by a 77-year-old friend, who was injured at the scene but survived the shooting.
However, Ray was pronounced dead at the scene.
Slain dog breeder Lonnie Alford Ray was a cancer survivor
Lonnie Alford Ray, a dog breeder who bred hunting and the French Bulldogs, was killed on Monday after an arranged dog sale meeting turned violent.
Ray, an army veteran, had planned to sell the prized French Bulldog that retails for thousands of dollars in a KFC parking lot when he was shot multiple times by suspects who then stole the dog and fled the scene.
Addressing the incident, Lee County Sheriff Daniel Simon said that the father-of-four was a cancer survivor who was gratuitously killed over a petty theft that involved a dog.
Lee County Sheriff Daniel Simon, who described the death as a senseless tragedy, told WBTW:
“Talked to the family. He won the battle with cancer. He was in the military, been in wars and for him to lose his life over something senseless of trying to do an exchange or sell a French bulldog and for someone to take his life, that’s heartless.”
Authorities said that officers are yet to make any arrests in the incident, adding that they are actively checking surveillance video in the area to help track down the suspects. Meanwhile, the victim's daughter Karen Hanna, in a statement to WDAM, pleaded with the assailants to turn themselves in.
The most recent incident comes amid an increasing number of dognapping cases in the U.S.
According to ABC news, thieves frequently target French bulldogs, which are considered high-value animals that fetch thousands of dollars in sales.
Last year, a French bulldog was taken from a Los Angeles neighborhood. The owner was walking the dog when the suspect got out of a black sedan and stole the pet.
A surveillance video captured the incident where Robert Marinelli was seen chasing the suspect in the car when his shirt was caught in the car door. He was then dragged a few feet during the chase.
In another incident, a California man was charged with grand larceny after surveillance footage showed him stealing a dog out of a parked car in September 2022.
In 2021, Lady Gaga’s two French Bulldogs were stolen during their walk by a suspect who shot and injured a dog walker while walking the animals.
