In the early morning hours of August 29, 2019, Natalian Ringo, a 23-year-old male, received a phone call that would tragically be his last. He was at home with his brother between 1 and 2 a.m. when the call came, summoning him to meet someone in a familiar Highland Park neighborhood. Telling his brother he would be back shortly, Natalian left in his silver 2011 Malibu, heading into a night that would never see him return home.
Later that morning, at approximately 7:20 a.m., his vehicle was discovered in the 16000 block of George Street near Puritan. The engine was still running, but Natalian was inside, having been shot and killed. His death marked the first homicide in Highland Park for 2019. The scene was quiet and desolate, with no immediate witnesses or cameras to capture the final moments of his life. Investigators noted that the car's windows were not shattered, leading his family to believe that he knew his killer and that this was not a random act of violence.
Natalian, known to his loved ones as Luke, was a graduate of Belleville High School and a student at Kentucky State University with dreams of opening his own clothing store. His mother, Bernice Ringo-Wilson, has been a tireless advocate for justice for her son and other victims of gun violence long before his death. The investigation into his murder remains open and unsolved. To date, no suspects have been publicly identified and no arrests have been made in the case. Crime Stoppers of Michigan is offering a cash reward of up to $2,500 for any information that leads to an arrest, as a family continues to wait for answers and closure in the senseless killing of their son.
