DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. – Protesters and civil rights groups are calling for justice after a suburban Detroit homeowner fatally shot a 19-year-old African-American woman in the face on the porch of his home.
No charges have been filed after authorities said Renisha McBride was killed by a shotgun blast early Saturday. According to police, man told investigators that he thought someone was trying to break into his home and accidentally discharged the gun.
McBride’s family this week said she likely approached the home to seek help after getting into a car accident nearby.
Friends and family filled a Detroit church Friday for a three-hour funeral, which was closed to reporters. Outside the service, an aunt, Kay Lumpkin, said McBride was a former cheerleader who graduated from Southfield High School in 2012.
The theme of the funeral “was, it’s a tragedy that didn’t have to happen and not to let this be swept under the rug,” Lumpkin said.
Police made a request for charges, but the Wayne County prosecutor’s office sent it back Wednesday for additional investigation. A vigil was held that same day outside the home, and about 50 people rallied Thursday outside the Police Department.
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