Bird was like any other kid. He was just a normal kid. The second-youngest of six children, Tyrone McCollough lived in the 4100 block of Oregon Avenue with his mother, who lost her ability to speak last year as a result of a stroke. The teenager wasn't without his troubles. In 1998, he was charged with attempted burglary, a case that got him six months' probation.
All kids have their bad sides, but that's just part of growing up.
He really wanted to turn professional. All that's stopped now. On Sept. 30, McCollough was arrested and charged with possession and sale of a controlled substance, accused of selling crack cocaine to an undercover police officer. He was first taken to police headquarters and, later, the City Workhouse, where, on Oct. 4, while housed in the No. 8 dormitory, he got into a fight with another inmate. She wasn't home.