On the night of November 14, 2021, tragedy struck in Pontiac, Michigan, claiming the life of Maliek "Abm Leak" D. Gilmore, a 22-year-old Black male. Around 10:30 p.m., Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of a traffic collision in the 60 block of Ridgemont Drive near Perry Street. Upon arrival, they discovered a GMC Terrain that had struck several parked vehicles. Inside the SUV, Gilmore was found unconscious and suffering from a gunshot wound to his abdomen.
Bystanders were attempting to perform CPR when authorities arrived. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators determined that the incident stemmed from a drug transaction that escalated into an attempted robbery. Gilmore had met with several individuals under the pretense of selling them marijuana. During the encounter, the transaction turned violent, and Gilmore was shot. Despite being wounded, he attempted to flee in his vehicle but lost consciousness, leading to the crash.
The subsequent investigation identified multiple suspects involved in the slaying. Detectives pinpointed 16-year-old Eric Marquell Burrell Jr. as the individual who fired the fatal shot. He was arrested shortly after the incident alongside 17-year-old Torrion Wilson. Both teenagers were charged as adults with felony murder and armed robbery. Burrell’s mother, Jennifer Marie Wilson, was also taken into custody and charged with accessory after the fact. Authorities alleged that she drove the suspects away from the scene, aiding them in their attempt to evade capture.
A fourth suspect, Demetrious Antwan Urbano Brox Jr., who is Eric Burrell’s older brother, initially evaded police, prompting a manhunt and a reward for information leading to his capture. He was considered armed and dangerous and remained a fugitive for over a month. On December 23, 2021, the U.S. Marshals Service tracked him to a hotel in Kochville Township near Saginaw, where he was arrested without incident. At the time of his capture, he was found in possession of a loaded handgun and suspected cocaine. He faced charges of felony murder and armed robbery similar to the other male co-defendants.
In February 2023, the case against the shooter saw a legal resolution. Eric Burrell Jr. appeared in Oakland County Circuit Court and pleaded no contest to charges of second-degree murder and felony firearm possession. He was sentenced to serve between 23 and 50 years in prison for the murder charge, in addition to a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for the weapons violation. The charges against the other individuals involved reflected the severity of the crime, with the co-defendants facing potential life sentences for their roles in the robbery and homicide.
