Dr. James Lee McTyre Jr., 66, was found dead in his car after it crashed into bushes in the China Inn parking lot on Wynnton Road in Columbus, Georgia, during the early morning of Sunday, February 26, 2023. The Muscogee County Coroner’s Office determined he had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and he was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:10 a.m. Police believe he was shot while driving after being at a nearby Circle K just before the shooting.

A longtime educator and counselor, Dr. McTyre worked in Social Services and as a school counselor in Harris County and Muscogee County school systems and taught as adjunct and associate faculty at Virginia College and the University of Phoenix. The Columbus Police Department classified the death as a homicide and has appealed to the public for information; the case remains unsolved with no arrests or publicly identified suspects.

If anyone knew Dr. McTyre, saw him that morning, or has information about movements on Wynnton Road or at the Circle K, please contact the Columbus Police Department with any tips.