A 17-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of Chikylah Richardson, also 17, in Ann Arbor. The suspect, Damarrion Demetrus White, is accused of fatally shooting Richardson, who was found dead inside an apartment last Sunday. The incident occurred in the 1400 block of Pear Street, where Richardson had reportedly gone to braid White's hair, a service that ended in tragedy as detailed in an arraignment court session, as FOX 2 Detroit reports.
White's legal representative, Washtenaw County Public Defender Colina Anderson, argued for a reduced bond, saying, "Your honor, I believe that the request for $1 million is excessive under the circumstances. We will ask the court for a personal bond so he can return home to his mother" as Fox 2 Detroit obtained, although this request was subsequently denied; this isn't White's first run-in with the law, he had a juvenile case pending for carrying a weapon to school, and other charges of domestic violence against his mother and assault. According to MLive, White has pleaded no contest to these prior charges, though the current status of these cases remains unclear.
The shooting was an isolated event, according to Ann Arbor Police Chief Andre Anderson, who told WXYZ that the victim and suspect knew each other through a common friend; however, the precise circumstances that led to Richardson's death are still being investigated. Ann Arbor Public Schools, expressing deep sorrow over the loss, released a statement describing Richardson as "very well-liked by students and faculty" and announced that support staff would be available for the community.
On the heels of another Ann Arbor incident where a suspect is still at large after killing a family's dog during a burglary attempt, as WXYZ also reported, the city is grappling with a startling wave of violence; White, whose bond was denied by 14A District Court Magistrate Odetalla Odetalla, is expected back in court on December 18, the particulars of which will no doubt follow intensive scrutinization as law enforcement works to piece together the motives behind this heartbreaking loss of such young life.
