CANTON, Ohio — A 25-year-old man is behind bars following a fatal shooting at a barbershop in Canton last week.
According to the Canton Police Department, it happened at Klipz Barbershop on Aug. 1, just after 3 p.m. in the 2500 block of Mahoning Road NE.
The shop's owner called 911 to report the shooting.
In the call, the owner stated a customer had just been shot.
When officers arrived, they found a 19-year-old man who had been shot multiple times in the chest. Canton firefighters transported him to a nearby hospital, where he later died. According to police, the man has been identified as Braylon Foster.
"I have a lot of anger. I'm hurt," the teen's mother, Erika Foster, said. "I'm really, really hurt. I lost my baby."
Foster said her son, the youngest of five children, graduated last year from Canton McKinley High School, where he played football. He recently started a full-time job at Freshmark — his adult life barely started before being lost to gun violence.
"I have a lot of questions. A lot," Foster said.
Officers tracked down the alleged shooter, Deontae McCollum.
According to the police report, officers spoke with McCollum's family in person and then with him on the phone. He alluded to the shooting being in self-defense. The suspect then agreed to meet with police and was taken into custody.
He has been charged with murder and felonious assault, according to police.
Police said the suspect is a barber employed at the shop. At this time, it's unclear what led up to the shooting.
Foster said she doesn't believe that the shooting was in self-defense.
"It could never be ruled as self-defense. Braylon was just sitting there with a cape on to get his hair lined up," Foster said. "I want justice for my son."
McCollum is being held in the Stark County Jail in lieu of a $1 million bond. He has a court appearance scheduled for Wednesday in Canton Municipal Court.
Canton Police said it will be up to the court system to decide if this was a self-defense situation inside the barbershop. In the meantime, a devastated family prepares to say their final goodbyes to the teen.
"He just started his life. He didn't even get a chance," his mom said.
