In the summer of 2022, a violent exchange of gunfire in a suburban driveway tragically ended the life of 49-year-old Michelle McGill, a Black/African American female. The incident, which unfolded on July 10 in Apple Valley, Minnesota, involved two men close to her: her own son and her ex-boyfriend.
On that Sunday evening, Willie John Selmon II, McGill’s former partner, arrived at a residence on Oriole Drive to retrieve some of his belongings.
At the same time, McGill’s son, Billy Joe Pryor Jr., was also present in a separate vehicle. An escalation between the two men quickly turned deadly. Pryor allegedly pulled his vehicle up to Selmon's, announced he had a gun, and then shot Selmon in the face. Selmon returned fire, and in a chaotic attempt to shield himself, he ran in front of the car where his former girlfriend, Michelle McGill, was sitting.
Caught in the brutal crossfire between her son and her ex-boyfriend, McGill suffered ten gunshot wounds and died at the scene. When police arrived, they found her deceased in the driveway. Both Pryor and Selmon sustained gunshot wounds in the shootout.
In the aftermath, both men were taken into custody and faced serious charges. Billy Joe Pryor Jr. was charged with second-degree assault and later, second-degree murder. Willie John Selmon II also faced charges, and in a subsequent court proceeding, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the fatal shooting. The case against Pryor continues, with a future court date scheduled.
