SAINT PAULS – Detectives are investigating the death of a 17-year-old young man from Lumberton after he was shot and killed. 

Authorities are remaining tight-lipped on what happened to Zachary Meares, but say they do have suspects. 

Saint Pauls Police Chief, Thomas Hagens, says officers responded to a shooting on Broad Street between the Burger King and the BP Gas Station on Tuesday afternoon. 

"He wouldn't let anybody hurt his sister, or his girlfriend, or his family," said friend, Haylie Stevens. "He stood up for everybody he knew." 

The spot where the shooting happened is now quiet, but on Tuesday it was a different story.

"His family bought a dude a phone," Stevens said. "This was his sister's boyfriend and they broke up, so he was going to get the phone back for his sister, and I guess the dudes didn't want to give him back the phone, and they got in an argument or something, and it just didn't end well." 

His friends say the senior used to attend Lumberton High School before he became homeschooled. They say he had dreams of going to college to play baseball.

"All throughout his life he was really well-liked," said friend, Kayli Gruver. "He was very bright and smart. When we were in middle school he was in the smarter class. He had a really bright future." 

A future -- his friends say -- was taken away over a cell phone. 

"It's betraying," Stevens said. "You wouldn't ever expect anything like that to happen from one of your friends. It's horrible."

So far, no arrests have been made in this case, but multiple sources tell Spectrum News three suspects have been questioned.