In the late summer evening of September 5, 2016, a tragedy unfolded in an alley in Kalamazoo, Michigan, forever altering the lives of two families. Marsavious Frazier, a 17-year-old male, died in an incident that authorities later described as a devastating chain of events. He was about to begin his senior year of high school and was known by friends and family as a vibrant and fun-loving young man with a passion for basketball.
On that Monday night, Frazier was with his close friend,
17-year-old Daqarion Hunter, and another friend. The teenagers were reportedly playing with a handgun when it accidentally discharged, striking and killing Hunter. Overwhelmed with grief and despair at the accidental shooting of his friend, Frazier then tragically took his own life.
When officers from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety arrived at the scene around 9 p.m., they discovered the bodies of both teenagers. A third friend who witnessed the incident recounted the harrowing sequence of events to the police, stating that there had been no argument or altercation between Frazier and Hunter before the shooting. The evidence found at the scene corroborated the witness's account of an accidental shooting followed by a suicide.
The firearm, which was not stolen but also not properly registered, became a focal point of the investigation, though its origin remained unclear to Frazier's family. In the wake of the tragedy, counselors were made available at the schools the teenagers attended to support students and staff. The deaths of Marsavious Frazier and Daqarion Hunter left their families and the Kalamazoo community in mourning, a heart-wrenching reminder of the devastating consequences of gun violence. As the incident was determined to be an accidental death followed by a suicide, there were no suspects sought by police, and no arrests were made.
