Ikiyonna Goans was 22 when she was found dead on a sidewalk in front of a house in the 300 block of West Columbia Avenue in Pontiac, Michigan. Deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office responded to 911 reports of gunshots about 4:30 a.m. on December 4, 2022, and Ms. Goans was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death was a gunshot wound and the case was ruled a homicide.

Family members, including her mother Martha Goans and her father, say Ikiyonna had been at her mother’s house that night and that something or someone may have lured her outside. Friends and relatives held a candlelight vigil and described her as a young woman working to overcome mental health challenges who hoped to become a teacher. No arrests have been announced and no suspect has been publicly identified.

Anyone who knew Ikiyonna or has information about what happened that night is urged to contact Crime Stoppers or the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.