In the quiet suburban neighborhood of Wyoming, Michigan, a young woman's life was tragically cut short in a moment of violence that shattered the community's peace. On the afternoon of September 8, 2024, 25-year-old Kanivia Howard-Browley, a female entrepreneur and devoted mother, was shot and killed outside a home on Bluebird Avenue SW. The incident, which unfolded around 12:40 p.m., stemmed from an argument between Howard-Browley and 48-year-old Anthony Lamar Buxton.
Witnesses reported
hearing the two arguing before the situation escalated dramatically. Surveillance footage from a neighbor's camera captured the chilling moments leading up to the shooting, showing a verbal altercation between Howard-Browley and Buxton. The argument took a fatal turn when Buxton pursued Howard-Browley into the street and shot her multiple times. She was found with several gunshot wounds and rushed to a nearby hospital, but succumbed to her injuries. Her mother recalled the agonizing call she received, informing her that her daughter had been fatally shot in the back.
In the immediate aftermath, a friend of Howard-Browley's confronted Buxton, who then allegedly threatened her with the handgun as well. Buxton was taken into custody shortly after the shooting. He was subsequently charged with open murder, felonious assault for threatening the friend, and three weapons-related offenses, as he was a convicted felon and not legally permitted to own a firearm. Investigators recovered the handgun, which Buxton had attempted to hide in a bucket in his garage.
During the trial, Buxton's defense team argued that he acted in self-defense, claiming that Howard-Browley had assaulted him. However, the prosecution presented evidence, including the surveillance footage and witness testimony, that contradicted this claim. Howard-Browley's mother vehemently disputed the self-defense narrative, stating in court, 'He shot her in the back while she was running away.' In May 2025, a Kent County jury found Anthony Lamar Buxton guilty of second-degree murder and felony use of a firearm. The following month, he was sentenced to a maximum of 35 years in prison for the murder of Kanivia Howard-Browley, leaving behind a grieving family, including her young son.
