On the night of May 31, 2019, a heated argument between a couple in their Warren, Michigan home culminated in the shooting death of 30-year-old DJuan Omar Ramsey. The male victim was fatally wounded in the living room of the house he shared with his boyfriend, Walter C. Franklin, on Hupp Street. The two had reportedly been drinking vodka for several hours prior to the deadly confrontation.
The events that transpired that evening were described as a domestic dispute that escalated.
Franklin, who was 44 years old at the time, claimed that the argument turned physical and that Ramsey began to choke him. Fearing for his life, Franklin stated that he fell back onto a couch and grabbed a nearby AR-15 rifle. He alleged that after a brief release, Ramsey advanced towards him again in an aggressive manner, prompting him to fire the weapon. Ramsey was struck in the lower left abdomen.
Following the shooting, it was Franklin who dialed 911 to report the incident. When police arrived, he was cooperative. A subsequent test revealed his blood-alcohol content to be. 188%, more than double the legal limit for intoxication in Michigan. Despite his state, he expressed a sense of urgency for Ramsey to receive medical attention.
Franklin was arrested and stood trial in Macomb County Circuit Court, where he faced charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and two firearms-related offenses. Throughout the three-day trial, the defense maintained that the shooting was an act of self-defense. Franklin testified that his intention was not to kill Ramsey, but merely to stop what he perceived as a life-threatening assault. After less than three hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict on December 4, 2021, acquitting Franklin of all charges.
