On the evening of July 8, 2025, 18-year-old Omarrel Sahon Ford Jr. was fatally shot in a vacant field near West South Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Pontiac, Michigan. First responders found him unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the chest; he was taken to a hospital but died of his injuries. A 19-year-old man was also shot during the same incident and hospitalized with injuries he was expected to survive.

Investigators quickly identified a group of teenagers who knew one another as persons of interest. Four teens, ages 13 to 17, were taken into custody; the younger teens were later expected to be released pending further investigation. The case against a 17-year-old was advanced in adult court: he was charged with second-degree murder in Ford’s death, two counts of assault with intent to murder, three counts of felony firearm and one count of carrying a concealed weapon. A preliminary examination was scheduled for late July 2025 and the youth was designated to be tried in family court.

Ford’s grandmother and guardian, Barbara Watson, spoke of profound grief and frustration over youth violence and described Omarrel as a loving and caring young man. If anyone has information about the shooting or the events leading up to it, please come forward.