US high school grad, 18, is shot dead after 'find my phone' app led him to lost handset - and a gunman who refused to give it back

  • Jeremy cook, 18, was shot multiple times Sunday after he tracked his lost smartphone to a parking lot and was approached by three men in a car
  • The teen's body was found behind a local strip mall and the assailants' vehicle was found crashed and abandoned nearby
  • Police are urging to public to be cautious when using tracking apps to find lost phones and especially when retrieving them 

By Charlene Adams for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:

An 18-year-old who was tracking his lost smartphone was murdered after the app led him to a parking lot where he was shot dead.

Jeremy Cook, of Brampton, Ontario, left his smartphone in a taxi and traced its whereabouts on Sunday, using a mobile phone-finding application, to a parking lot where he and his sister approached three men in a car, CBC NEWS reports. 

The men tried to drive away and, desperate to retrieve his phone, Cook grabbed on to the driver's side door and held on as the men sped away, CTV reports. 

Jeremy Cook, of Brampton, Ontario (seen here in a Facebook photograph), was gunned down Sunday by men in a vehicle after a mobile phone-finding app led him to the men after he lost his smartphone

Jeremy Cook, of Brampton, Ontario (seen here in a Facebook photograph), was gunned down Sunday by men in a vehicle after a mobile phone-finding app led him to the men after he lost his smartphone

Minutes later, he was shot multiple times.

London police found his body behind a local strip mall and the assailants' car, a Mazda sedan, was found crashed and abandoned nearby - the phone was found near the vehicle, CBC reports.

London Police Const. Ken Steeves told CBC that the incident was extreme, noting that Cook's case is the first where police are dealing with extreme violence stemming from the loss of a phone.

'No one ever would have predicted or even thought that a loss of life would have resulted from a loss of a phone,' Steeves said. 

London police are now searching for three black males believed to be between 18 and 21 years old, Global News reports. 

Body: London police found his body behind a local strip mall and the assailants' car, a Mazda sedan, was found crashed and abandoned nearby

Body: London police found his body behind a local strip mall and the assailants' car, a Mazda sedan, was found crashed and abandoned nearby

Find: Cook left his smartphone in a taxi and traced its whereabouts on Sunday, using a mobile phone-finding application, to a parking lot where he and his sister approached three men in a car

Find: Cook left his smartphone in a taxi and traced its whereabouts on Sunday, using a mobile phone-finding application, to a parking lot where he and his sister approached three men in a car

Career: Those who knew the 18-year-old said that he recently graduated from a high school in Brampton and moved to London, Ont. to pursue a career in carpentry

Career: Those who knew the 18-year-old said that he recently graduated from a high school in Brampton and moved to London, Ont. to pursue a career in carpentry

FIND MY PHONE DANGERS 

Find my phone apps use GPS to determine their location. 

Users can log on and discover the exact location of their missing device. 

The phone can be wiped or disabled remotely by commands over the internet. 

London police said they still advise people to trace their phones using the Apps despite Mr Cook's brutal murder.  

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Police say one of the men is wearing a white shirt with a black design and another is believed to have short hair and to be wearing a black jacket or shirt and a hat. 

The third suspect is believed to have a slim build and to be wearing a blue shirt and a black hat. 

Cook reportedly had no previous involvement with the men and had not been in trouble with police before, CTV reports.

Those who knew the 18-year-old told CTV that he recently graduated from a high school in Brampton and moved to London, Ont. to pursue a career in carpentry.

He had reportedly been running a carpentry business and was in London for an internship.  

After the incident, police are urging the public to be careful when using tracking apps to find lost phones, especially when using them to retrieve the phone by themselves, FOX reports.  

'The app itself is a great tool to have, Steeves told CBC, 'but if you suspect there's any potential for violence at all, we certainly encourage people to contact police.' 

Involvement: Cook (far left)  reportedly had no previous involvement with the men and had not been in trouble with police before

Involvement: Cook (far left)  reportedly had no previous involvement with the men and had not been in trouble with police before

  

 
 

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