KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — If police solve the shooting deaths of two teens in Kalamazoo anytime soon, there could soon be as many as 18-cases of death by violence sitting on the desk of Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting, all from this year. The majority were the victims of gun violence.
That compares to a total of seven cases all of last year, There were also seven in 2014 and ten in Kalamazoo County 2013. And the year isn’t over yet.
The victims in chronological order are 17-year-old Temetrion Hegler who was shot in his Lane Boulevard home in early January. 18-year-old Deshontae Dewayne Ellis was shot and killed in the parking lot of an Oshtemo motel later that same month. Both were Kalamazoo School students.
Six people were shot and killed in Kalamazoo’s mass murder in February. Their names areTyler D. Smith and his dad Richard Smith, Mary Jo Nye and her sister-in-law Mary Lou Nye, Dorothy Brown and Barbara Hawthorne .
Later in February, Wendy Marie Whitney was stabbed to death in her drive way in Kalamazoo Township.
4-year-old Kharisma Richardson died from injuries sustained as a result of apparent child abuse at an apartment on Douglas Avenue on her birthday in March.
Niquay DeJuan Baker was gunned down at Mable and North Westnedge in May.
The June death of five members of the Chain Gang Bicycle Club has resulted in homicide charges against the driver who was taken into custody at the scene. Killed were three women from Augusta, Debra Ann Bradley, Melissa Ann Fevig-Hughes and Suzanne Sippel. The other two victims, Fred Nelson and Larry Paulik were both from Kalamazoo.
Now Kalamazoo Public Safety has added a pair of 17-year-olds; Marsavious Frazier and Daqarion Hunter to the list after Monday night’s double shooting in the Edison Neighborhood.
It could be the worst year ever for homicides in Kalamazoo and the year isn’t over yet.
The only homicide case from this year that has been closed is the stabbing death of Wendy Whitney. Her suspected killer, Chris Long stabbed himself to death in Kentucky, but not before leaving a written confession behind.
The list does not include Alfred Minka, who was killed in 2013. An arrest was made in that case just last week.
The list also doesn’t include the deaths of 4-year-old Jayden Johnson, and WMU student Nic Heil who were both killed by suspected drunk drivers this year. Those drivers have both been charged with operating while intoxicated causing death.
