In the early morning hours of February 10, 2016, a disturbance between two vehicles shattered the quiet of an Inkster, Michigan neighborhood. Alfred Wayne Austin Jr., a 28-year-old Black or African American male, was inside a green Pontiac Bonneville on the 27000 block of Moore Court when gunfire erupted. The car, riddled with bullets, then crashed into a nearby home. When the chaos subsided, Austin Jr. had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
His family remembered him as a loving and outgoing father of four who was devoted to his children.
A second man who was in the vehicle with Austin Jr. was also shot. He managed to flee the scene and was later found by a Wayne County sheriff's deputy. He was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators believe the shooting was not a random act of violence. The Michigan State Police, who are handling the investigation, have been searching for a black car with tinted windows that was seen leaving the area. There were conflicting reports about the make and model of the suspect vehicle, with some witnesses describing it as a Pontiac Bonneville and others as a Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Crown Victoria, or Chevy Impala.
The tragic death of Alfred Wayne Austin Jr. left his family reeling and a community grappling with ongoing violence. His father, Alfred Wayne Austin Sr., was left to identify his only son at the scene of the crime. Despite the efforts of law enforcement and pleas to the public for information, the case has grown cold.
To this day, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly identified in connection with the murder of Alfred Wayne Austin Jr. The investigation remains open, a painful and unresolved chapter for a family still seeking justice for the loss of their loved one. A reward was offered for information leading to an arrest, but as of now, the individuals responsible for his death remain at large.
