Slain Teenage Son Of TikTok Star ‘Mama Tot’ Was Selling Pot When Killed, Police Say

The slain teenage son of TikTok star “Mama Tot” was allegedly selling marijuana when he was shot to death at an Alabama gas station last week, police said.

Randon Lee, the youngest son of TikTok star Ophelia "Mama Tot" Nichols, was shot and killed Friday after he pulled his vehicle into a gas station on St. Stephens Road in Prichard.

Prichard Police Det. Jason Hadaway said in a press conference Monday, streamed by WALA-TV, that the suspects in the shooting pulled up in a black vehicle, and one got into Lee’s car and shot him.

“The suspect got out of the victim’s vehicle with a handgun and got back in his vehicle and took off,” Hadaway said, adding that police believe they are looking for more than one person.

Lee drove his vehicle to another gas station across the street to try to escape his shooter, but then came to a stop. Paramedics tried to perform life-saving measures to save the teen, who was about to celebrate his 19th birthday, but he died at the scene.

Hadaway said investigators believe that Lee had been selling the two suspects marijuana at the time of his murder.

“There was narcotics found in the vehicle whenever the crime scene unit processed the scene,” Hadaway said.

While Hadaway said they do have “a couple of suspects in mind,” he declined to provide any additional details about who police believe could be responsible in an effort to protect the integrity of the investigation.

Nichols — who has more than 7 million followers on TikTok under the moniker “shoelover99” — said in a message on the platform that she and her family were “shocked” by the developments in the case.

“Through this process we’ve found out a lot of stuff, a lot of stuff we just, we just didn’t know,” she said. “When your children live out on their own and pay their own bills and they have a good job and, you know, [it] just don’t cross your mind that they would be doing anything to get themselves into trouble.”

Nichols said her son had “a lot of trouble” after his father passed away in 2019, but had seemed to be doing better before his death.

“We did everything we could to keep him on the right track but this past year. Everybody thought he was, because he was doing so good, like doing so good, like with everything,” she said. “We just had a birthday dinner for him and we was all telling him how proud we was of him.”

She added that the family had “no idea” he may have been selling drugs.

“He comes from good people and he comes from a good family and a good home, but sometimes that just don’t matter, you know,” she said.

In a message on Facebook, Nichols said Lee had been living in a “nice place” with his girlfriend before he was killed and had been focused on caring for those he loved.

“Please don’t think badly of my son for the circumstances of how he was taken,” she said. “We are not ashamed of him, and never will be. When I was 18, I made poor choices myself.”

She also referenced the person who had taken her son’s life.

“I think of the person who did this to my son, and have empathy for his family once they find out — although others may not think I should. But now there will be two families that are hurt and broken. It won’t just be mine,” she wrote. “This person will be held accountable, I believe that, so I will hold my faith close & my family in times of despair. It’s all we have.”

According to Nichols, detectives told her they believe the suspects had either “tried to rob him or they did rob him” before the fatal shooting.

Nichols said in a later comment to her TikTok video that she believes police know who killed her son.

“We do believe we know who it was. Can’t say names yet BUT I believe the Lord will make a way for Justice,” she wrote.

Nichols had previously pleaded with her fans to try to help her solve the murder.

"I ain't never asked y'all for anything but I need your help with this,” she said while getting emotional. “There's almost 7 million people that follow me. Somebody's gotta know something."

Oxygen.com reached out to Nichols and police to learn more about the case, but did not get an immediate response.