In the late hours of May 5, 2024, the life of 19-year-old Najaye Marquis NaJ Owens, a Black/African American male, was tragically cut short in Toledo, Ohio. Police were called to the 2100 block of Elm Street following a report of a person shot. Upon arrival, they discovered Owens inside a garage at the residence, suffering from what would prove to be fatal gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene, having sustained injuries to his head and chest. The incident was part of a violent weekend in the city that saw multiple shootings.
The day after the discovery of Owens' body, Toledo Police arrested 25-year-old Treshaun Whitlock in connection with the death. Whitlock was subsequently indicted by a Lucas County grand jury on serious charges: two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault, and one count of having weapons while under disability. The case then proceeded to the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, where Whitlock entered a plea of not guilty, setting the stage for a dramatic trial that would explore the conflicting narratives of what transpired in the garage that night.
During the trial, which took place in February 2025, prosecutors presented a case arguing Whitlock's culpability. A key witness was Mantice Ellison, a man who was incarcerated with Whitlock. Ellison testified that Whitlock confessed to him, stating he had tried to take the handgun from Owens, who had been making others at a gathering in the garage uncomfortable with his handling of the weapon. According to Ellison, Whitlock admitted the attempt to disarm Owens was not successful and resulted in the fatal shooting. The prosecution also presented forensic evidence suggesting that the gunshot wound to Owens' chest was fired from a distance that would have made it impossible for him to have shot himself.
The defense, however, painted a starkly different picture of the events. Whitlock's attorney argued that there was no struggle for the gun and that the prosecution could not definitively place the weapon in his client's hand. He posited a theory of a tragic accident, suggesting that Owens, an aspiring rap artist, may have accidentally shot himself in the head. The defense lawyer theorized that upon being shot, Owens dropped the pistol, which then discharged a second time upon impact with the concrete floor, causing the chest wound. Witnesses from the gathering testified that they did not see or hear a struggle between the two men.
After a four-day trial, the jury deliberated for approximately two and a half hours. They ultimately found Treshaun Whitlock not guilty on the two counts of murder and two counts of felonious assault. He was, however, found guilty on the single charge of having weapons while under disability. Following the verdict, police have not named any other suspects in the death of Najaye Owens.
