In the early morning hours of December 9, 2021, in Fruitport Township, Michigan, 18-year-old Dylan Owens of Norton Shores was shot and killed. The White/Caucasian male was discovered inside a vehicle around 2:55 a.m. near Park Street and South 3rd Avenue, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds from which he ultimately succumbed. The incident was the culmination of ongoing conflicts between Owens and the suspect.
The individual arrested in connection with the shooting was 21-year-old Kevin Wilson of Fruitport. Authorities reported that the two men had known each other for a significant period, having been neighbors and briefly attending middle school together. The dispute that led to the fatal encounter had reportedly been escalating, with one account suggesting a recent incident involving the suspect and a family member of Owens.
On the night of the shooting, Owens and Wilson had arranged via text message to meet at Pomona Park to engage in a physical fight. Owens was accompanied by his girlfriend, Cheyenne Edwards, and a friend, Dominic Colegrove II. Upon their arrival, they found Wilson already parked in a car. Witnesses stated that when Owens approached Wilson's vehicle, Wilson and another individual with him refused to get out. After Owens kicked one of the car's taillights, Wilson fired approximately five shots, striking Owens. It was Wilson himself who called 911 to report the shooting, initially claiming that he had been shot at and had returned fire. However, the investigation only recovered shell casings that matched Wilson's gun.
Kevin Wilson was subsequently arrested and lodged at the Muskegon County Jail, with his bond set at $2 million. He was formally charged with open murder and a felony firearm charge. In April 2024, Wilson pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and a felony firearm charge. A no-contest plea is treated the same as a guilty plea for sentencing purposes. His sentencing was scheduled for July of that year. At the time of his death, Dylan Owens was an expectant father, and his family expressed profound grief over the loss of both him and his unborn child.
