‘Boopac Shakur’ was not fatally shot after accusing someone of pedophilia, Michigan officials say

The fatal shooting of a Michigan man who was known to try to catch alleged pedophiles online was not connected to a confrontation he had with someone he had accused, officials said Tuesday.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office had initially said Robert Wayne Lee, 40, was shot and killed after he accused a man at a restaurant of being a pedophile, but on Tuesday the sheriff said that no longer appeared to be the case.

“When we originally responded to the call, the community inferred he could have been there for that reason, to confront a pedophile,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a written statement Tuesday night. “As we get deeper in the investigation, we have yet to find any corroborative information on that point.”

A sheriff’s office spokesperson said Tuesday investigations are dynamic and information changes as cases progress.

Lee, also known as “Boopac Shakur,” was fatally shot Friday night at a restaurant in Pontiac, Michigan, authorities said. Two people have been arrested in connection with the shooting.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald issued a statement Tuesday intended to clear up inaccurate or misleading information in the case.

“There is no evidence that the confrontation on September 29th was a planned meeting, or that it was part of any sting operation,” the statement said.

The two people arrested are the alleged shooter — a 16-year-old boy — and an 18-year-old man, according to McDonald’s office. The sheriff’s office initially said the shooter was 17.

The county prosecutor also said no charges have been authorized.

In its statement Saturday, the sheriff’s office said Lee accused one man at the restaurant of being a pedophile and punched him, “causing the man to pull out a knife.”

“The second man produced a firearm and shot Lee several times,” the statement said. Lee was hospitalized and later died.

The sheriff’s office has described Lee as a “one-man crusade” who would pose as an underage girl online.

Lee’s efforts have led to arrests and criminal charges against several men, the office said, but he has also mistakenly identified someone as a pedophile.

Both the sheriff’s and prosecutor’s offices noted concerns that confronting people with such allegations could prompt violence.

“Mr. Lee’s conduct has never been sanctioned or encouraged by law enforcement or the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office,” McDonald said. “While identifying potential sex offenders is commendable, we were concerned that such confrontations would result in violence or injury.”

Officials also had concerns about Lee’s tactics, which often interfered with law enforcement’s ability to conduct an investigation or properly gather evidence, the prosecutors office said.

“That meant that some individuals Mr. Lee identified could not be charged with crimes, or that cases against them were dismissed,” she said. “In two instances, Mr. Lee was investigated for and charged with crimes for destroying property of individuals who were not the target of his ‘sting’ operations.”