Michael Irving, a 32-year-old African American man, was fatally shot on February 28, 2015, outside Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church in southeast Houston, Texas. Irving, who was well-liked and known as "Magix Mike," was an audio technician and volunteer at the church. He had recently pleaded guilty to federal charges of wire fraud and identity theft, facing a potential prison sentence of up to 30 years.
On the night of his death, Irving had volunteered at a Black History Month event
and was waiting for a ride when he was shot in the head in the church parking lot. His cousin arrived to find Irving's body lying on the pavement next to his backpack and sound equipment. The motive for the murder did not appear to be robbery, as none of Irving's possessions were taken.
The investigation revealed that Irving had been involved in a scheme using a PayPal credit card processing machine to deduct payments from fraudulently obtained credit cards. The victims of his fraud were seniors between the ages of 70 and 95. One of Irving's co-conspirators, Raymond Goffney, had also pleaded guilty to the same charges.
The case drew significant attention due to Irving's involvement in the church community and his friendly demeanor, which made it difficult for many to reconcile the kind person they knew with the criminal activities he was involved in. The investigation continued to focus on identifying the shooter and understanding the full context of the crime.
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