“He is, and it don’t make no sense. That’s just wrong,” nearby resident Terrell Bailey stood near the cordoned-off parking lot outside the Foot Locker on Kelly Road in Eastpointe, Michigan. Yellow police tape whipped in the May wind, designating the location where a fatal attack in daylight on May 3, 2025 killed two men and injured two others. The tragedy hasleft residents in this Detroit suburb shaken and wondering what went wrong.
A fight erupted in the Kelly Road and 8 Mile Road Foot Locker about 2:45 p.m., said police in Eastpointe. Two groups of people who were acquainted got involved in an altercation that turned violent. Amid the chaos, 19-year-old Lakylia Sheila Taylor allegedly retrieved an unregistered firearm from her vehicle and opened fire, shooting four men. Juvan Maurice Newman, 24, and Steven Edward Gardin Jr., 27, were killed—one died at the scene, the other at a hospital. Two others, including 29-year-old Tyjaune Pierre Morris-Turner, were injured but survived. Lakylia and her 21-year-old brother, Dejuan Taylor, fled in a black sedan, leaving behind a stunned crowd.
Lakylia Taylor, a Detroit resident, is at the center of the case. Authorities say she fired multiple shots after witnessing her brother, Dejuan, being attacked. Dejuan was reportedly in a physical altercation with Morris-Turner, who was armed and allegedly pistol-whipping him. After the gunfire, Dejuan faces allegations of stealing Morris-Turner’s weapon and making off with it, making the investigation more complicated. The victims were all males in the 20s and 30s from the other group, although police have yet to release details of any confrontation between the two parties. The crime was recorded on Foot Locker security cameras for use as evidence.
On May 5, Lakylia turned herself in, followed by Dejuan on May 8. Lakylia faces serious charges, including second-degree homicide, assault with intent to murder, felony firearm, and carrying a concealed weapon. Her bond was set at $2.5 million, with a condition to wear a GPS tether if released. Dejuan is charged with evidence tampering, firearms larceny, concealed carry, and theft, with a $250,000 bond. Both have a probable cause hearing set for May 20, 2025, and preliminary examinations scheduled for May 27. Lakylia appeared emotional during her court hearing, reflecting the weight of the charges.
Lakylia’s defense attorney, Randall Upshaw, argues she acted to protect her brother, who she believed was in mortal danger.
“She saw her brother being pistol-whipped and overpowered,”
Upshaw said, claiming the shooting was a desperate act of self-defense. However, Macomb County Assistant Prosecutor Kumar Palepu paints a different picture. Security footage, he says, shows Lakylia firing at a victim on the ground at point-blank range, actions that exceed justifiable self-defense.
“This happened in broad daylight in a public shopping area,”
Palepu noted, emphasizing the danger to bystanders.
The shooting has rattled Eastpointe, a suburb known for being quieter than nearby Detroit.
“We’re lucky no innocent bystanders were hit,”
said Detective Lieutenant Alexander Holish of the Eastpointe Police Department. Local residents, like Bailey, are struggling to process the violence in a busy retail area. Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido stressed the need for accountability, noting the risk to shoppers. Police have reassured the public that the incident was not random, but the tragedy has sparked calls for stronger community safety measures.
