Dad of two shot dead by neighbor after daughter touched mulch, Michigan officials say
A Michigan father of two was fatally shot in a confrontation with a neighbor over mulch, officials said.
Officers responded Aug. 10 to reports of shots fired in a residential neighborhood, according to a news release from the Canton Public Safety Department.
Responding officers found a 35-year-old man lying in the street with a gunshot wound, the public safety department said. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries, authorities said.
The victim was identified as Nathan Morris, secretary of the 6th Congressional District Republican Committee, according to an Aug. 11 post on X, formerly known as Twitter, by Republican National Committee committeewoman Hima Kolanagireddy
While out on a walk, Morris’ daughter touched a neighbor’s mulch, and in response, the neighbor took out a gun “and started threatening the family,” Kolanagireddy said.
Morris sent his family home to try and “diffuse the situation” but was shot dead, the committeewoman said.
According to the public safety department, the suspect barricaded himself inside his house but eventually surrendered to law enforcement.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office identified the suspect as 47-year-old Devereaux Johnson, the Detroit News reported.
He was charged with first-degree murder on Aug. 12, the outlet reported.
“This was a senseless act of violence toward the victim,” Canton Police Chief Chad Baugh said in the release.
Kolanagireddy said Morris was someone who would “do no harm and think no harm.”
“He is just an amazing and gentle soul. He will be missed dearly,” she said.
The suspect is being held in jail pending a full investigation, officials said.
Canton Township is about a 30-mile drive west from Detroit.
This story was originally published August 12, 2024 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Dad of two shot dead by neighbor after daughter touched mulch, Michigan officials say."
