
An Eastpointe, Michigan Foot Locker turned fatal battleground when a dispute in the parking lot escalated into gunfire that claimed two lives last Saturday, according to officials. 19-year-old Detroit resident Lakylia Sheila Taylor now faces charges including second-degree homicide, assault with intent to murder, tampering with evidence, carrying a concealed weapon and two counts of felony firearm, as confirmed by the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office. Additionally, Taylor's brother, Dejuan Taylor, has been implicated in the confrontation and is facing related charges.
Reported by local news outlets, the altercation began when Lakylia and Dejuan Taylor approached a Jeep in the Foot Locker lot. Tyjaune Pierre Morris-Turner, exiting the Jeep with a gun, engaged in a physical altercation with Dejuan Taylor, prompting Lakylia to return to her vehicle and retrieve an unregistered firearm, CBS News Detroit articulated. It was then, amid the chaos, Lakylia Taylor is accused of fatally shooting Juvan Maurice Newman and Steven Edward Gardin Jr., and injuring Morris-Turner and her own brother.
Following the incident, the Taylors fled the scene, later returning when Lakylia Taylor turned herself into police last Monday. Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido condemned the violence, stating, "This was a senseless act of violence. Young lives are lost and ruined forever from this conduct," as recounted by CBS News Detroit. He emphasized that even though self-defense is allowed, "street justice is never permissible."
In the wake of the tragedy, defense attorney Randall Upshaw argued the shooting was an act of self-defense by Lakylia Taylor, aiming to protect her brother from potentially being shot. "How can the Macomb County prosecutor reward the person that started the fight and apparently was going to kill Lakylia’s brother," Upshaw told Macomb Daily. Upshaw suggested that video evidence will prove the self-defense claim, showing Dejuan struggling to stop Morris-Turner from using his weapon.
Both siblings, entangled in the aftermath of the dispute, face upcoming legal proceedings. With a $2.5 million cash/surety bond set for Lakylia Taylor, her next court appearances, which include a probable cause conference on May 20 and a preliminary exam on May 27, will determine what path the justice system will take on these severe accusation charges.