Michelle Artist was a 30-year-old Black woman from Detroit and a mother remembered by relatives as loving and devoted. On April 9, 2016, she was driving a white Ford Focus on the Southfield freeway near the Seven Mile exit when an unknown assailant fired multiple bullets into the vehicle, killing Michelle and her 28-year-old passenger.

Relatives said they feared the shooting may have been a case of mistaken identity. Michelle’s daughter, who was a teenager when her mother was killed, later described the pain of milestones Michelle never lived to see, and the family has said they urgently need help finding the person responsible. The Detroit Police Department opened an investigation; as of April 2019 no arrest had been made and the case remained unsolved.

If anyone has information that could help identify the shooter or explain the motive, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.