The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

LOCAL Businessman Brent “Bj” McPhee Jr had turned his life around after a troubled past and was looking forward to building his future before being shot dead in a suspected targeted attack, leaving his family in shock and grief.

McPhee, 38, a father of five, died in the hospital Saturday after he was shot near Homestead Street and Palm Beach Street around 7 pm on Friday.

Relatives said he was visiting a friend when he was shot three times moments after texting his father to say: “I gon’ be home. I on my way.”

Felix Brent McPhee Sr, his father, said he was waiting at home, ready to give his son money he owed to some men, but that plan turned to devastation when he received an unexpected call, that his only child had been shot.

“I was like ‘s**t, I got to move, and I went straight to the hospital,” he said, describing the next several hours as stressful and chaotic, with conflicting updates.

“I needed to hear from doctors because people were saying ‘oh, he in stable condition, but he’s still unconscious’,” he said. “My feelings was up and  down.”

The next day, doctors delivered the blow he feared: his son was dead. They told him how hard they tried to save him.

He said he thanked them for trying their best even if they prolonged his life for just a few more minutes.

Mr McPhee said he didn’t know the motive behind the attack but had this message for the culprits: “God be with him.”

“I could forgive,” he added, “because we supposed to be forgiving and ya know things does happen; regret don’t have no cure.”

He acknowledged his son had made mistakes but said he had turned his life around.

BJ ran a trucking business, did maintenance work, and dreamed of building his own home, relatives said.

“My son had a path where he was up and down with some rough stuff but he got over it (and) became a businessman,” he said.

Mr McPhee said he tried his best as a father to give his son a better life than he had growing up. One of his proudest moments, he said, was when his son called to offer him a job.

“I was going to turn him down, but you don’t have much kids that offer his parents a job and that there was the biggest change for me,” he said.

Police have not yet confirmed any arrests in connection with the incident.

The latest killing brings the country’s murder count to 11 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.