In the late hours of a summer night in Detroit, Michigan, the life of 16-year-old Terell Martin-Coleman was tragically cut short. On August 19, 2016, just before 3 a.m., Terell was outside his family's home on Roxbury Street, in a neighborhood near I-94 and Cadieux Road. He was with his two brothers, aged 24 and 14, when the unthinkable happened. A vehicle, described as a black sedan, drove by, and someone inside opened fire, striking the teenager.
In the immediate aftermath of the
shooting, Terell's older brother rushed him to a nearby hospital, but his injuries were too severe. The young man's mother, Rhonda Martin, was left distraught and facing the unimaginable task of burying her son. The family, including his uncle, Bishop Willie Martin, and his godmother, Maria Star, gathered at the home, grappling with the sudden and senseless violence that had taken Terell from them. His uncle lamented that in the city, one could no longer feel safe even sitting on their own porch.
Detroit police canvassed the neighborhood in the wake of the shooting, but the initial investigation yielded few leads. No witnesses came forward claiming to have seen or heard anything, and investigators were unable to find any shell casings at the scene. The police began their search for two male suspects who were in the black sedan. At the time of the initial reports, no arrests had been made, and the investigation was ongoing. The community was left mourning the loss of a young life, another victim of gun violence.
