Renisha McBride, 19, was killed in Dearborn Heights, Michigan outside Detroit. She had walked onto a porch seeking assistance., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Renisha McBride funeral mourns 'tragedy that didn't have to happen'; shooter 'torn up'
8:33 PM, November 8, 2013
By Tammy Stables Battaglia, Bill Laitner and Niraj Warikoo
Detroit Free Press Staff Writers
On the day of Renisha McBride’s funeral, her family asked others to be patient as investigators determine whether to file criminal charges against the Dearborn Heights man who shot the 19-year-old woman on his porch a week ago.
The family’s comments came today as several civil rights leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, and U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, called for justice and a thorough investigation in the case.
McBride was shot in the face Nov. 2 as she stood on the porch of a home on Outer Drive around 3:40 a.m. Her family has said she was seeking help after being involved in an auto accident that night.
The attorney for the homeowner, speaking for the first time today, said she looks forward to telling his side of the story but declined to name him. He told police he thought McBride was breaking into his home.
“I know this may ring hollow unless you knew this man, but this is really weighing on him,” Bloomfield Hills criminal defense attorney Cheryl Carpenter said. “He realizes the extent of this tragedy. Right now, he’s a monster in the eyes of the public. I can’t wait to share who he really is.”
A nearly three-hour service was held today for McBride at House of Prayer & Praise Cathedral, on Detroit’s west side. The funeral program was filled with pictures of her smiling at a Disney theme park, holding a puppy and spending time with family and friends.
McBride, who worked for Ford Motor Company, loved cars and shopping, according to the program.
Outside the funeral, her maternal great-aunt, Kay Lumpkin, 48, of Dearborn Heights, said the service emphasized the tragedy of McBride’s death.
“The message was it’s a tragedy that didn’t have to happen, and not to let this be swept under the rug,” Lumpkin said.
Investigation continues
McBride’s family members have said they believe the young African-American woman died as a result of racial profiling. Dearborn Heights police said they haven’t found any indication that race was a factor in the shooting.
McBride’s relatives said early this week that homicide charges should immediately be brought against the homeowner. Today, their attorney and a family spokesman said they wanted prosecutors to take as long as necessary for a thorough investigation.
“It’s very, very, very hard to believe that it was an accident when the gun is in her face, and it goes off accidentally,” attorney Gerald Thurswell, who represents McBride’s family, said outside the church before the funeral started. “Somebody had to have their finger on the trigger. He was in a safe place — he was in his house and he didn’t have to open the door. He could’ve called 911 to protect himself. And if she was seeking help, he could’ve called 911 to get her help.”
Carpenter said the homeowner — who she described as 54, white and living alone — voluntarily went to the Dearborn Heights police station for questioning after the shooting.
“He was sleeping and he was awakened between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m. by sounds of a person trying to come into his home,” said Carpenter, calling the shooting “a tragedy for everybody involved.”
“He’s torn up,” she said. “That’s the best way to say it.”
Thurswell and Ron Scott, a spokesman for the family and a community activist, expressed confidence in Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who is considering a warrant request in the case.
Scott said people should refrain from comparing the situation to the shooting of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watchman in Florida. “I think it’s very premature to put it in that context,” Scott said.
McBride remembered
Lumpkin said McBride had an outgoing personality and was a cheerleader who graduated in 2012 from Southfield High School.
“She loved to be around family and friends — and to have fun,” said her great-aunt.
Krystal Byrd, 27, of Detroit, remembered her cousin as a successful young person, one who “had (good) things going for herself,” but had challenges behind the wheel.
“Her first car, she tore it up, and her daddy got her a new one. Anything she wanted, she got. And her second car, she tore that up too. And I think she did another one,” said Byrd, who wore a T-shirt emblazoned with “R.I.P. Cuzen.”
Standing near the hearse, family friend Wade Scott, 56, of Detroit shouted, “How come he ain’t in jail!” to onlookers.
Donyell Williams, 46, of Alabama, drove north to the funeral to give comfort to Monica McBride, Renisha’s mother and his estranged wife.
“I still love my wife. She needs me now,” he said.
Calls for action
The Canton-based Arab American Civil Rights League wrote letters today to Dearborn Heights Police Chief Lee Gavin and Worthy calling for “a full and thorough investigation.”
The Rev. Sharpton also made a plea in the case, which has drawn national attention.
“We are in prayer for the family of Renisha McBride but we are also urgently calling for justice for the loss of this daughter, sister, and friend,” said Sharpton, who leads the National Action Network.
Conyers said today: “The shooting death of Renisha McBride has left the Detroit area hurt and asking many questions about how an unarmed 19-year-old young woman, reportedly seeking assistance in the middle of the night, could so tragically lose her life.
“There has been discussion about the impact of Michigan’s controversial “stand your ground” laws and whether they contributed to this incident. I have long opposed laws of this nature. I am confident that Wayne County prosecutors and law enforcement will conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that justice is served for Renisha’s family.”
Free Press Staff Writer Ann Zaniewski contributed to this report.
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