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Family: Suspect, victim in fatal Fayetteville shooting had history of bad blood

A search was underway Sunday for a suspect who authorities said shot and killed his child's grandfather.

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FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A search was underway Sunday for a suspect who authorities said shot and killed his child’s grandfather.

At about 6:30 a.m., deputies with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a domestic disturbance at 6617 Wake Forest Road in the College Downs subdivision. The caller informed responders that someone had just been shot.

Authorities said Anthony Curtis Macneill, 32, of 6874 green Creek Drive, shot and killed Eugene Racine. Racine is the father of Macneill’s ex-girlfriend, Cindy, with whom he had a child.

Racine’s daughter, Mona Jones, suspects Macneill’s motive had something to do with his relationship with Racine’s daughter.

“I guess it was like a love revenge thing or something,” she said.

Deputies said Macneill fled the scene following the shooting.

Neighbors across the street from Racine’s home said they heard multiple gunshots and recall seeing Macneill run down the road and disappear.

Deputies shut down several streets in the neighborhood and closed a stretch of nearby McArthur Road as they searched for Macneill, who made several posts on Facebook in which he threatened suicide following the incident.

Racine’s sister, Mona Jones, said her brother lived in the Wake Forest Road home with their father, Francis Racine, for whom he was a caretaker. She said her brother saved the lives of others in the family Sunday morning.

“He died a hero today. He saved my niece and my father’s lives,” she said. “He loved his girls, loved his family, never hurt anybody so this is kind of out of left field.”

Francis Racine, agrees that his son is the reason more lives weren’t lost Sunday morning. With Macneill still at large Sunday night, he said he is concerned for his safety, but considers his son a hero.

“By him coming out, he saved either Cindy or I from being shot at or both of us being killed. He’s a hero in my book,” he said.

Francis Racine said his son and Macneill had a history of bad blood.

“Right out here, in front, they had a fight about two months ago,” he said.

In hindsight, he said perhaps the fight foreshadowed what happened Sunday morning. The bullet holes in the back door serve as a fresh reminder of what startled him out of bed.

“All I heard was three shots and I hauled up. ‘What’s all the noise, what’s all the ruckus’,” Francis Racine recalled.

Francis Racine said that Macneill had also sent threatening messages to Eugene Racine’s daughter in the months leading up to the shooting.

“The sheriff’s office has her telephone with all the text messages on it,” Francis Racine said.

Authorities said Macneill should be considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 910-323-1500 or Crime Stoppers at 910-483-8477.

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