Chad Merrill just welcomed his son Layton into his home five months ago, but the new father was shot dead last weekend. According to CNN, Merrill was out at the Red Rose Restaurant and Lounge near York, Pennsylvania with his friend Jerrell Douglas. James Saylor approached Douglas and began calling him racial slurs, but Merrill cautioned his friend to ignore the hatred. Douglas, who is Black, followed his friend's advice, and soon after, Saylor was kicked out of the bar.
Merrill decided to leave the bar and confront Saylor. Surveillance-camera footage shows Saylor firing his weapon at the building after being kicked out. Then, when Merrill confronted him at his truck, Saylor shot him in the chest and sped off. He crashed into a sedan before making his escape, and when police went to investigate his residence, the damage on his vehicle matched the accident in the footage. Saylor is being held at the York County Prison on one count of criminal homicide. His preliminary hearing is set for August 3, and he had six previous convictions for careless driving and related traffic violations on his record.
A GoFundMe page has been started to help with the funeral costs for Merrill. The goal was set at $15,000, but donations have reached $62,615 in just five days.
