African American male Larry Barnett, aged 55, was killed on the night of October 28, 2015, in Detroit, Michigan. He was known in the local community for frequently performing odd jobs, such as washing windows, sweeping, and pumping gas for customers to earn money. On the night of his death, he was present at a BP gas station located at the intersection of 7 Mile Road and I-75, engaging in his usual activities near the pumps.
The incident unfolded around 9:30 p.m.
when a suspect arrived in the vicinity. According to surveillance footage later released by authorities, the assailant did not pull directly into the gas station but instead parked their vehicle in a disguised location nearby. The individual then approached the station on foot, specifically seeking out Barnett. Without warning, the gunman walked up to Barnett and fired multiple shots, striking him fatally before fleeing the scene into the darkness.
Investigators from the Detroit Police Department Homicide Unit characterized the shooting as a brazen execution rather than a robbery or a message sending. Detectives publicly speculated that Barnett might have witnessed a crime or that the killer believed he had seen something incriminating, as Barnett was a frequent observer of the goings-on in the neighborhood. Police emphasized that the attacker acted with intent to kill, noting that Barnett was unarmed and posed no threat at the time of the ambush.
Following the murder, law enforcement released the surveillance video to the public in hopes of identifying the shooter. The footage captured the suspect’s movements as he stalked toward the victim and subsequently ran away. Despite the release of this evidence and pleas from Barnett’s heartbroken family for answers, public reports from the time did not announce an immediate arrest. Authorities urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers, highlighting the danger the suspect posed to the community.
