On a cold December morning in Detroit, a 44-year-old Black man named Anthony Taylor Jr., a devoted father of five, was tragically killed. In the early hours of December 2, 2016, Taylor was returning to his father's home on Huntington Road after having dinner with his girlfriend. The two were on the phone as he arrived, and she heard him exclaim, 'oh no,' followed by the sound of gunshots.
Taylor's father, who was inside the house, also heard the multiple gunshots.
When he went to investigate, he made a heartbreaking discovery: his son was lying in the bushes near the front door. Despite his father's frantic attempts to perform CPR, Anthony Taylor Jr. had succumbed to a gunshot wound to his chest. He was a man who had been actively turning his life around, dedicating himself to his family and his faith. He worked as a counselor at a rehabilitation facility and was studying to become a minister, known for his commitment to helping others in their recovery.
The Detroit Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation. During their search of the area, they recovered a van near McNichols and Edinborough roads that they believed might be connected to the shooting. Investigators also began interviewing a person of interest in the case. An unidentified witness reported hearing five to eight gunshots and saw a man, described as having a medium build and standing about 5 feet, 9 inches tall, dressed in all black, fleeing the scene.
In the wake of the tragedy, Taylor's family remembered him as a good man with a good heart and soul who loved his children and worked hard every day. While a person of interest was questioned, the investigation into the murder of Anthony Taylor Jr. remains ongoing, with no definitive arrests or suspects publicly identified.
