DETROIT (WXYZ) — The man who shot and killed three people at a Detroit gas station on Sunday will not face charges after prosecutors determined he acted in self-defense.
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Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s office announced Wednesday afternoon that a warrant will be denied due to insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the suspect did not act in lawful self-defense and defense of others. The shooter was released from police custody early Wednesday.
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According to the prosecutor's office, the confrontation at the west side gas station followed a crash on the road, a pursuit, and someone pointing a gun at another car. The three people killed — Lester Owens III, Trevor Sheeler, and Jasmine Sheeler— were seen getting out of their car, opening the driver’s door of another vehicle, and getting into a physical altercation with the driver. A man in the rear of that car then fired the fatal shots.
The decision not to charge the shooter has outraged the grieving families, including Lester Owens III's father
"They premeditated everything before they got in their vehicle - what they were gonna do. They're gonna hit a car, get somebody to come out and tell them it was, and then shoot because they already felt cocky because they riding around with three guns," Lester Owens Jr. said. "You let murderers out to do it again. The murderers are not the victims. I'm the victim. Lester, my son, is the victim, and those two people that were killed are the victims."
Attorney Terry Johnson said Michigan law allows someone to use lethal force when they are in imminent fear of death or great bodily harm.
"My concerns are someone getting out of a vehicle, going into another vehicle, again that’s never a good thing, especially when there’s been some friction between the two parties beforehand," Johnson said.
Community violence intervention group The People's Action said there were opportunities on both sides to avoid the tragedy and that it should serve as a lesson to everyone.
"De-escalation skills, it was so many times where they could have stopped and said, you know what, it's not that, it's not worth it, or, or we can go a different route, right? Because, you know, when you put gas on a fire, you know what happens, right?" Kurteiz Thompson said.
"Like us as a community, we need to intervene more. I don't think that we should just always depend on law enforcement or extreme circumstance, extreme people to come and intervene, we could do it, right? Let's hold ourselves accountable as a community," Tiaja Perry said.
The family of Trevor and Jasmine Sheeler, who were brother and sister, declined an interview. The man who fired the shots also declined an interview.
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