Elijah Reese was 16 and a high school sophomore when he was shot and killed while walking home from East English Village Preparatory Academy on May 22, 2024. The shooting occurred on the east side of Detroit near Bedford Street and the Edsel Ford Service Drive late that afternoon after Reese and a friend were reportedly approached by three young men dressed in black.

Police described the incident as an attempted robbery that escalated into a fatal confrontation; Reese was struck multiple times in the chest and died at the scene. His family believes the motive was a pair of Alexander McQueen sneakers he had recently bought with money from a job.

Two teenagers were arrested by the Detroit Police Department on June 6, 2024, in connection with the killing. Anyone who saw what happened that day or has information about Elijah’s death is asked to come forward.