On a tragic evening in Detroit, Michigan, 13-year-old Aaliayah Thomas lost her life in a senseless act of violence. The young girl was a passenger in a black Dodge Charger on December 1, 2015, when two gunmen unleashed a hail of bullets on the vehicle. The car was parked near a party store at the intersection of Hayes and Troester streets on the city's east side at the time of the attack.
Aaliayah was not the intended target of the shooting, but rather an innocent victim caught in the crossfire of a violent feud. Also killed in the assault was 21-year-old Stevan Henderson, who investigators believe was the actual target.
The shooting was captured on surveillance video, showing the two assailants approaching the Dodge Charger and opening fire before quickly fleeing the scene. The investigation into the double homicide revealed that the attack was rooted in gang rivalry, with Henderson believed to be a member of a rival gang to the perpetrators. The gunmen showed a shocking disregard for human life, as other children were present at the scene. A 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy were sitting on the hood of the car when the shooting began and were injured when Henderson attempted to drive away to escape the gunfire, causing the car to crash.
In the years following the tragic incident, a significant breakthrough was made in the case. In October 2022, Edwin Mills, a member of the 6 Mile Chedda Grove gang, pleaded guilty to his role in the murders of Aaliayah Thomas and Stevan Henderson. Mills admitted to being one of the shooters and confirmed that the attack was a gang-related retaliation against Henderson. His conviction was the culmination of a lengthy investigation that saw a total of eleven members of the 6 Mile Chedda Grove gang convicted for their involvement in a series of violent crimes, including murder, assault, robbery, and narcotics trafficking.
