In the early morning hours of November 12, 2023, a shooting incident on McReynolds Avenue NW in Grand Rapids, Michigan, resulted in the death of 25-year-old TaRique Dodge. Shortly after 3:15 a.m., Dodge was brought to a local hospital with life-threatening gunshot wounds. Despite the efforts of medical staff, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after his arrival.
The Kent County Medical Examiner later officially ruled his death a homicide.
The Grand Rapids Police Department immediately launched an investigation into the shooting. Initially, they identified several individuals believed to have been involved in the incident but did not publicly release their names. Their investigation soon centered on a single suspect, another 25-year-old man named James Goins.
On November 24, 2023, the Kent County Prosecutor's Office formally issued charges against James Goins, including Open Murder and Felony Firearm, in connection with Dodge's death. That same morning, Goins, accompanied by his attorney, Kenneth Stovall, surrendered to the Grand Rapids Police. He was subsequently taken into custody and booked at the Kent County Jail. Goins' attorney has indicated that they will pursue a self-defense argument, stating that his client was protecting himself and lawfully used his pistol at the appropriate moment. The defense has expressed its readiness for trial, maintaining Goins' innocence of the charges brought against him.
