In the early evening hours of May 31, 2016, a conversation between two men in downtown South Bend, Indiana, took a fatal turn, leaving one of them, 27-year-old Markest Tyrone Flowers, dead from a gunshot wound. The male victim was seen walking back and forth in the street near Main and Colfax streets, holding a cup and wearing a backpack, while engaged in a conversation with an older man.
That man was identified as 69-year-old Michael Young.
Witnesses reported that Young was following Flowers closely and talking to him. The situation escalated abruptly when Young grabbed Flowers' backpack, spun him around, and raised a handgun to his face, firing a single shot. Flowers fell to the ground and was pronounced dead at the scene. Young was taken into custody shortly after, and police found two handguns in his possession.
Following his arrest, Young was charged with one count of murder. During the investigation, multiple witnesses provided similar accounts of the unprovoked attack. Young later admitted to shooting Flowers, though he claimed to be surprised when the gun discharged. He alleged that Flowers had threatened him, but also admitted that Flowers was not armed and had not made any physical attempt to harm him. The motive for the confrontation appeared to stem from Young's belief that Flowers had taken money from a friend of his.
In June 2017, Michael Young was convicted of murder. During his sentencing hearing the following month, his son and wife testified on his behalf, stating that he suffered from PTSD from his time in the Vietnam War and requested he be placed in a hospital. Young expressed remorse for his actions, stating, 'I don't know why my brain works like it does. I do have PTSD. I'm deeply sorry.' He also adamantly denied that the crime was racially motivated. The judge, however, stated that the incident was a choice Young made and sentenced him to 50 years in prison, with credit for 421 days already served.
