Casey Willis was fatally shot in the early morning hours of December 26, 2020, on Cardoni Street on Detroit’s east side. She was 18, a freshman at Wayne State University, a University Prep Academy graduate, and working two jobs. At about 1:55 a.m. she was sitting in a silver 2017 Honda Civic with an 18-year-old male friend after delivering food to his home when two unidentified men approached the vehicle. One of the men fired a long gun into the car, killing Casey; her friend was not injured. The suspects fled in what was believed to be a Chevrolet Impala.

Casey’s family remembers her as intelligent, caring, and a leader; her death came on her mother’s birthday and prompted a community vigil where purple and white balloons were released. Detroit Police are searching for the two suspects and Crime Stoppers of Michigan has offered a cash reward; no arrests have been announced. If anyone has information that could help bring justice for Casey, please come forward.