No proof found that bullying led to fatal school shooting, police say

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Matthews police say they have yet to find proof that bullying led to the fatal shooting last week in the halls of Butler High School outside Charlotte, according to a police statement issued this week.

The announcement was made as the first-degree murder case against the 16-year-old suspect, Butler High freshman Jatwan Craig Cuffie, enters its second week. He is accused of killing fellow student Bobby Mckeithen, 16, in a fight on Oct. 29.

“At this point we have uncovered no information that supports a claim of bullying in the typical sense of the word,” says the police statement.

“What we know is this stems from an ongoing conflict between our suspect Ashley Mewborn, mother of Butler High shooting victim Bobby Mckeithen, is hugged outside Progressive Baptist Church after stepping outside during funeral services for the Butler High School student Saturday in Charlotte, N.C.

and the victim relating back to an event at the Harris Teeter parking lot. It is unfair to either party involved in this investigation to prematurely identify a cause before we have had the time to run down all the information.”

The event at the Harris Teeter was described by WBTV as “an altercation” involving Cuffie and “several others.”

Matthews Police have also asked Charlotte-mecklenburg Schools officials to stop discussing bullying in connection with the case, reports WSOC. “We’re leaving the conclusions about what happened to law enforcement,” CMS spokesman Tracy Russ was quoted telling the station.

Family and friends of Mckeithen have complained for days that the teen was being unjustly depicted as a bully, according to the Charlotte Observer and other media outlets.