A white man is now charged with second-degree murder after he fatally shot a Black panhandler outside of a local Trader Joe’s in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

According to WAFB 9, Jace Boyd turned 61-year-old panhandler Danny Buckley away after he asked for money. Moments later, he got out of his car when he saw the elderly man approach Kaylee and her roommate, who were both white. She explained to authorities that Buckley was just asking for money when he was killed. “Yes, he did ask for money. Yes, maybe he did come a little into my space to speak to me, but that’s not a death sentence,” she said.

She continued, “He was like, you know, ‘Hey, can I get some money?’ And I didn’t have any cash or anything. I just kept walking and I didn’t engage with him.” She ignored Buckley, but as she started to get into her vehicle, she heard Boyd yelling.

“At this time, the suspect exited his vehicle and yelled at the victim to leave people alone because he was scaring them,” the affidavit states.

“I looked over and I could see him [Boyd] and he said, ‘Hey, leave those girls alone.’ Well then, I got into my car because I don’t like confrontation,” Kaylee said.

As Kaylee and her roommate got into their car, they heard one loud pop. “She [roommate] thought something had fallen to the ground,” Kaylee recalled. “She thought she had dropped something. She ends up getting into the car and she says, ‘I think that guy has a gun.’ And I was like, ‘There’s no way.’”

When officers arrived on the scene, they found Buckley on the ground suffering from one gunshot wound to the abdomen. He later died at the hospital. Police reportedly let Boyd go home the night of the shooting, without charging him, after he claimed he shot in self-defense. Days later, they issued a warrant for his arrest.

Boyd was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon. As of Friday (Aug. 28), he remained in the East Baton Rouge Parish Jail. His bond is set at $300,000. If convicted of second-degree murder, he will face a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.

A GoFundMe has been set up for the family to raise funds for Buckley’s funeral expenses. If you would like to donate, click here.