On the evening of Friday, February 10, 2023, 16-year-old Christine Marie Michael was fatally shot while riding in a car with friends on Highway 19 after returning from a high school basketball game in Ripley. Christine, seated in the back seat, was struck by at least one bullet and died of her injuries; a 13-year-old in the car sustained a shrapnel-type injury during the attack.

Christine was a standout student at Haywood High School, serving as class president with a 4.0 GPA and working concurrently toward an associate’s degree. The local library, where she worked part-time, set up a memorial and her funeral was held at Haywood High School. The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting appeared linked to an ongoing dispute between groups of young people.

By the following evening authorities had arrested 18-year-old Kevion Davis and 16-year-old Bishop Owens, charging both with first-degree murder and each with three counts of attempted first-degree murder for the other occupants. Christine reportedly texted information during the incident that helped identify the alleged perpetrators. Does anyone have information about the events on Highway 19 that night or knew Christine and can help fill in details?