Young father was fatally shot after standing up for black friend being called the N-word

Chad Merrill, a 25-year-old man who was the father of a five-month-old boy, was killed outside the Red Rose Restaurant and Lounge in York, Pennsylvania.

On Saturday morning, Chad and his friend Jerrell Douglas, who is black, were sitting together inside the place when a third man got in and started insulting Jerrell. As People reported, the man, later identified as James Saylor, used racial slurs while insulting Jerrell.

When that incident took place, Chad reportedly urged Jerrell not to respond to the abuse, as he was a peaceful man. James was quickly kicked out of the restaurant by the staff members.

Unfortunately, Chad went outside to talk to James in the parking lot. However, James pulled out a gun and allegedly shot him once in the chest. It is not known whether Chad and James knew each other before that incident.

James left the crime scene as soon as the weapon was fired, but police tracked and arrested him in his parents’ home on suspicion of criminal homicide. At the moment, he is being held at the York County jail without bond.

Richard Merrill, Chad’s brother, told The Washington Post that Chad was the kind of person who didn’t like people hating each other or the world being ‘segregated the way it is.

The victim’s friends and family members have created a GoFundMe page to help take care of Chad’s baby son, Layton. Apart from that, they took to social media to share heartfelt messages honoring Chad.

‘To die defending honor, justice, love, and compassion makes Chad a true hero in my eyes. This is the very example of how people must be courageous and stand up when they see something wrong in the world,’ wrote Stacy Allen, a family friend.

Darrick Hines, a person who learned why Chad was killed, admitted that Chad was a true hero for protecting and defending his African American friend from racist hatred, reported People.

Richard admitted to being proud of his brother and that it was amazing how many people his story has touched so far.