A North Carolina teacher was gunned down in a shootout with members of a Mexican drug cartel last week. The New York Post reported that Barney Harris, who taught and coached basketball at Union Academy in Monroe, and his brother-in-law Steven Stewart were allegedly trying to steal drugs and cash from a trailer used by the cartel last Thursday when the gun battle happened.
The trailer belonged to the New Generation Jalisco Cartel, one of the globe’s most powerful drug trafficking operations. Harris and Stewart broke into the trailer when they were confronted by 18-year-old alleged cartel member Alonso Lara.
The in-laws allegedly executed Lara when he refused to tell them where their stash was hidden. Other cartel members then arrived, triggering a gun battle that left Harris dead.
Harris was wearing a ballistic vest but that did nothing to stop the weapons that the cartel had.
Stewart was arrested after the shooting and charged with murder and armed robbery.
Approximately two pounds of cocaine and $7,000 were recovered by police at the trailer.
