CLAWSON, Mich. (WXYZ) — Eighteen-year-old Troy student Derek Scholl was shot and killed last Thursday while allegedly heading to a party with acquaintances in Clawson. Three suspects were apprehended within 24 hours of the incident. His family is now left heartbroken, coming to terms with his life being cut short.
The shooting took place around 10:30 p.m. Thursday in the area of 14 Mile Road and Renshaw Avenue.
Scholl's grandfather Michael says the young adult was heading out Thursday night from the family home, quickly saying his goodbyes to his family before leaving.
“When it was dinner time, Derek was going out and I said goodbye to him and I said something that I always say to my kids: I said 'grandpa loves you,'" Michael Scholl said. “I really didn’t know where he was going, but he has so many friends that I don’t even know them by name.”
Michael Scholl and the rest of the family received a phone call later that night that he will never forget.
“We were awakened at 2 a.m. on Friday morning. Troy police were at our door. They called first. At first, we were reluctant to open the door, it's like what’s going on? And then they said you really need to let us in," Michael Scholl said.
The family learned that Derek Scholl had been shot. He was transported to a local hospital but did not make it.
The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office says a group of young adults, which included Derek Scholl, were preparing to leave the Clawson apartment to attend a party. That's when 21-year-old Tylaj Clark-Spencer was reportedly checking to see if the weapon he had on him was loaded. The gun then fired, killing Derek Scholl.
“It was dreadful. It was just heart-wrenching. It crushed us," Michael Scholl said after hearing the news.
A small manhunt ensued after the group took off, but Clawson police say all three suspects were quickly taken into custody.
Clark-Specer was charged with manslaughter along with multiple other felonies. Twenty-year-old Joshua Peel and a 17-year-old were also both charged with being an accessory to a felony.
Michael Scholl says this senseless act of gun violence has taken away so much from their family, and he wants people to think twice before handling a weapon.
“Derek was such a positive influence on everybody, family included, and to not have him around, there’s a hole in the house somehow that will never be filled," he said. “For somebody that just picks up a gun, looks at it and tries to figure it out, I don’t recommend that at all.”
Clawson police say this is the city's first homicide of 2025.
Meanwhile, the Scholl family is hosting a celebration of Derek's life on Thursday, May 29.
The family has also set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral arrangements as well as to try to set up a foundation in Derek Scholl's name, to educate young adults about gun safety and gun violence.
