On the evening of December 27, 2017, police in Detroit, Michigan, were called to a commercial building located at the intersection of West Chicago and Appoline Street on the city's west side. The location, a gray brick structure situated just west of Meyers Road, bore no outward signage indicating its business but was operating as an illegal marijuana dispensary. Upon arrival, officers discovered the body of 28-year-old Brandon Beavers, an African American male, lying on the floor behind the service counter. He had sustained at least one fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators determined that the shooting occurred shortly before 6:00 p.m. and gathered evidence suggesting the motive was robbery. The cash register drawer near where Beavers was found had been left open and appeared to be empty. Beavers, a father of three, was identified by sources as the owner of the establishment, which had been the subject of a police raid just a month prior in November. Despite the violent nature of the crime, there were no immediate witnesses to the shooting itself, and the perpetrators fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.
In the aftermath of the homicide, detectives struggled to identify those responsible. Authorities stated that no descriptions of any suspects were available, and no arrests were made in connection with the slaying. The case was eventually cataloged in cold case databases with the status of the investigation remaining unsolved, leaving the identity of the shooter or shooters unknown.
