On the evening of May 25, 2019, Lateo Garrett, an 18-year-old Black male, was with his brother at a Valero gas station on Seven Mile Road in Detroit, Michigan. The brothers were inside the convenience store to buy drinks when a man approached them and tried to snatch the Cartier sunglasses Garrett was wearing. A struggle ensued, and the assailant shot Garrett. The gunman then fled the scene, getting into a red Chevrolet Cobalt with three other individuals.
The attempted robbery was unsuccessful as the shooter did not manage to take the glasses.
Garrett's brother was by his side in the immediate aftermath, and they called 911. Emergency services transported Garrett to a local hospital where he was initially listed in serious condition but ultimately succumbed to his injuries later that night. His mother later recounted the heartbreaking phone call she had with her sons from the scene, hearing Lateo say he was 'losing it.' The young man, described by his family as a humble and nice kid who went to work every day, had been looking forward to attending college the following year.
In the days following the shooting, the Detroit Police Department released surveillance images of the primary suspect and two other persons of interest. The main suspect was described as a Black male, between 20 and 25 years old, with a slim build, wearing a grey hoodie with red lettering, grey sweatpants, and white shoes. Subsequently, an arrest was made in connection with the fatal shooting. In a tragic turn of events, less than a year later, in January 2020, Lateo Garrett's 41-year-old father, Leo Garrett, was found dead inside his home on Detroit's east side after it was firebombed.
