Desiree Childs was 16 when she was shot and killed while walking home in Pontiac, Michigan, on the night of October 28, 2023. She and a friend were near South Johnson Street and Menominee Road, a couple of blocks from her house, when several gunshots rang out around 11:20 p.m. Desiree was struck in the chest and leg, found unresponsive in the street, and later died at a local hospital. Her friend was not physically harmed.

Oakland County detectives said they believe Desiree was not the intended target and that she may have been mistaken for someone else or caught in crossfire. Investigators arrested 32-year-old K’Nique Djon Lawrence of Pontiac on November 3, 2023; he was charged in connection with the shooting and held without bond. Another man, 27-year-old Jameel Tanzil, was identified as a person of interest but was not charged.

Desiree’s family remembered her as a daughter who lit up every room and mourned a life they felt was just beginning. If anyone has information about what happened that night, please come forward.