The man who authorities say killed his mother-in-law Monday in downtown Fort Mill will be remembered Sunday at South Charlotte Banquet Center, according to an obituary.
James “Jimmy” Vinton, 39, fatally shot his mother-in-law, 68-year-old Deborah Elaine Buchanan of Charlotte, inside her H&R Block Office on Main Street, authorities said. He then shot himself. Deborah Buchanan was remembered during a funeral Saturday. (Related Story: Funeral Remembers H&R Block Owner Who was Murdered in Fort Mill.)
An obituary gives background on the killer. He was born in Youngstown, Ohio. He was a graduate of Harding University High School in Charlotte and Winthrop University in Rock Hill.
In 2006, he married Bevin Buchanan, whom he met in high school.
His obituary, posted on dignitymemorial.com, says that Jimmy worked in various Veterinary hospitals in and around the Charlotte area.
“His passion for science brought him to his career in clinical research. He fiercely loved his friends, and he was completely devoted to those whom he cared about,” the obit says. “Jimmy loved the band Nirvana and carried around his childhood stuffed animal ‘Blue-boy’ for 39 years. He was an avid reader, an ally to his LGBTQ+ community, and a political advocate.”
An online search reveals that Vinton made a series of videos over the last year called “The Unlikely Athiest,” in which he tears into the Bible and reviews a book by Christian author Josh McDowell.
His family is hosting a celebration of Jimmy’s life on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020 at 3 pm at South Charlotte Banquet Center, 9009 Bryant Farms Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277.