In River Rouge, Michigan, on the afternoon of May 2, 2021, a domestic dispute escalated into a fatal encounter that ended the life of 26-year-old John Laverette of Ohio. The male victim was at the Linden Street residence of his estranged girlfriend, 30-year-old Theresa Imani Bragg, when the incident occurred.
An argument erupted between the former couple, reportedly concerning the two children they shared. The children were not present at the time of the altercation.
As the disagreement intensified, it is alleged that Bragg armed herself with a gun and shot Laverette multiple times.
When River Rouge police officers were dispatched to the home at approximately 4:13 p.m. for a reported shooting, they discovered Laverette unresponsive on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics arrived and transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
Theresa Imani Bragg was arrested at the scene. Following the investigation, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office charged her with one count of Premeditated First-Degree Murder and one count of Felony Firearm. Bragg was arraigned in 25th District Court and remanded to jail. An alternative narrative suggests that Laverette had a history of violence and that Bragg was acting in self-defense during the incident.
