D’Angelo Hayward

D'Angelo Hayward was a 21-year-old welder from Lansing, Michigan, described as a bright and helpful young man. A graduate of Everett High School, the Black male was known to some by the nickname "2 D." His life was cut short during a violent encounter in the summer of 2023.

On the afternoon of August 3, 2023, a domestic dispute tragically escalated at the BLVD West apartment complex on Forest Road. Around 4 p.m., police responded to a shooting and found Hayward inside a vehicle that had come to rest on the grass. He had been shot and was rushed to a local hospital, but he died from his injuries. A 16-year-old girl who was also present sustained injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

The investigation quickly led police to a suspect, 17-year-old DePriest Morrell of Meridian Township. He was taken into custody, and the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office announced its decision to charge him as an adult. Morrell was initially charged with open murder and a felony firearm offense for his alleged role in Hayward's death.

As the case proceeded, Morrell remained in custody. His defense attorney noted that he had no prior criminal history and had completed his GED while incarcerated. In April 2025, as part of a plea agreement, Morrell, then 19, pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter and to felony firearm possession. On May 28, 2025, Morrell appeared for sentencing before Ingham County Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, where he made a brief apology to D'Angelo Hayward's family. The judge sentenced him to a term of 57 months to 15 years in prison for manslaughter, plus a mandatory two-year prison sentence for the firearm charge to be served consecutively. The case was closed with his conviction in May 2025.