US Marshals enforcing a federal warrant shot a killed an alleged fugitive last month seconds after the man and other pallbearers loaded his father’s casket into a hearse to take it to a cemetery from the funeral home, the Washington Post reports.

Jason Arnie Owens was turning to embrace another mourner when a team of marshals approached the group and called Owens’ name.  Witnesses say Owens turned toward the men when they opened fire, killing him and spraying his blood on his 18-year-old son who was standing nearby.

“They yelled Jason’s name. They just said ‘Jason’ and then started firing,” family friend Cassandra Whitecotton said. “There was no identifications they were U.S. Marshals — anything. They did not render this man any aid at all. Never once they touched him to render any aid whatsoever.”

The US Marshals said the 37-year-old Owens had an outstanding federal warrant, but would not specify the charges. Owens was found guilty in 2018 of fleeing a Harrison County sheriff’s deputy and trying to strangle the deputy during a scuffle.  He was sentenced to 3 to 13 years in prison and he was released in April 2021.

Reportedly, Owens had missed several scheduled appointments with his parole officer.  Family members had said his father’s death had brought the family together, and Owens had promised his mother he would turn himself in after his father’s funeral to clear up the legal issues.

Marshals claim Owens had a gun on him when he was shot, but they are not claiming he reached for the weapon.  Officials have not released bodycam footage of the shooting, nor have they stated if any of the federal agents were wearing cameras.