Father of two murdered during Raleigh home invasion

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Crime tape sat next to children’s toys at the Avery Park Apartments in Raleigh, which is a grim reminder that two children are now left without a father.

“They really actually shot him in the head in front of his kids,” Cremario Smith, the victim’s friend, said.

Cornelius Montgomery’s friends and family members are grieving and trying to make sense of what happened Saturday.

Memphis Police said it was a robbery gone wrong when someone broke in.

“I seen him laying on the floor in the kitchen,” Smith told WREG.

Friends said Montgomery was shot in the head in front of his two small kids.

“For a person to come in and shoot up the victim like they did, and the kids were in the back room — that was a cold, heartless person, Janette Kyle, a neighbor, said.

Police are on the lookout for the gunman as the latest shooting adds to the growing number of homicides in Memphis this year.

“It’s time to stop — time to stop. It is. It’s time to stop. The city– I prayed for the city last night. I prayed for the blood of Jesus over this city because it is out of control,” Kyle said. “It is out of control.”

“I just want to go. You know the city ain’t safe. For real though. I’d rather live anywhere else and try to make it,” Smith explained.

If you know anything about the homicide, give police a call right away.