Deshontae Dewayne Ellis was 18 when he was fatally shot on January 2, 2016, in the parking lot of the Red Roof Inn in Oshtemo Township, Kalamazoo, Michigan. A party at the motel turned violent after a dispute between some girls spilled outside; several shots were fired and Deshontae was struck by a bullet while inside a car. Responding deputies arrived just after midnight to find partygoers scattering.

Witnesses helped piece together the shooting, including one who later realized they had unknowingly transported potential suspects to and from the motel. Investigators identified 18-year-old Nasi Moshe Ben-Yaisrael of Kalamazoo as the person who ambushed Ellis and shot him in the chest; Ben-Yaisrael was arrested and charged with murder. In September 2016 a jury found Ben-Yaisrael guilty and he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

If anyone was at the Red Roof Inn that night or has information about the events leading up to the shooting, please share what you know.