Francisco Velez, a 32-year-old male, was fatally shot in the early morning hours of September 4, 2015, in Clio, Michigan. The incident, which marked the city's first homicide in at least 18 years, stemmed from a dispute that began at a party and tragically escalated.
The conflict reportedly started when a friend of David B. McQuillan, the man later convicted of the murder, was asked to leave a gathering at a residence on Pine Street.
McQuillan and his friends then went to a nearby mobile home park. The situation intensified when two men from the party, including Francisco Velez, arrived at the mobile home park in a vehicle. An argument ensued between the men, during which McQuillan retrieved a. 22-caliber rifle from his residence.
McQuillan fired a single shot from the rifle, which struck Velez in the back as he was reportedly getting back into the vehicle. The bullet tragically hit a major artery, and Francisco Velez was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. Following the shooting, McQuillan fled the scene but was apprehended by police a short time later in a wooded area near his home.
David B. McQuillan was subsequently charged with open murder, felony firearm, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. During his trial, the defense argued that McQuillan did not intend to kill Velez and had only fired a warning shot. However, the prosecution maintained that his actions constituted murder. Ultimately, a jury found McQuillan guilty of the lesser charge of second-degree murder, as well as the felony firearm and felon in possession charges. He was sentenced to serve a minimum of 20 years in prison for the murder conviction, in addition to a two-year sentence for the felony firearm charge.
