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NEED TO KNOW
- A son murdered his mother, and was then allegedly shot dead by his older brother, during a family dispute in Alabama on June 8, according to police
- The mother was described on Facebook by a family friend as “an exceptionally kind individual who will truly be missed”
- A local church plans to hold a celebration of life service for the family members on June 21
A son murdered his mother, and was then allegedly shot dead by his older brother, during a family dispute, authorities said.
Officers responded to a shooting incident in Auburn, Ala., at around 5:39 p.m. local time on Sunday, June 8, when they found Traci McDuffie, 52, and her son Brandon, 25, dead inside a home, the Mobile Police Department (MPD) said in a news release.
“The investigation revealed Brandon McDuffie fatally shot his mother, Traci McDuffie, and that’s when Traci’s other son discovered what occurred,” police said in the release, then claiming that Brandon “shot towards the other son, causing the other son to defend himself by shooting Brandon.”
Brandon and Traci got into an argument, which resulted in the first round of gunfire, NBC 15 reported, citing authorities.
MPD Public Information Officer Blake Brown told the outlet, “Once the initial shooting did take place, there was some sort of communication to let the other son know.”
The MPD said in its news release, “The death of Brandon McDuffie will be presented to a grand jury,” while Traci’s “death has been abated by” her son’s.
The second son was identified in a post on Facebook from the First Baptist Church of Baltimore Street, Inc. as 32-year-old Brent McDuffie, Traci’s eldest child.
It is not immediately clear if Brent was arrested or currently faces any charges.
“Please continue to lift Brother Brent McDuffie and the family up in prayer during their time of bereavement,” the church wrote in its social media post.
The First Baptist Church of Baltimore Street, Inc. added that it plans to hold a celebration of life service for the family members on Saturday, June 21.
Traci was described on Facebook by a family friend as “an exceptionally kind individual who will truly be missed.”
NBC 15/Youtube
The woman’s sister said following her death, “There is nothing bad that can be said about her. She was a hard worker and loved her live music,” per a Facebook post from WALA Fox 10 reporter Ariel Mallory.
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The MPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, June 14.
