CANTON, MI - Authorities are investigating the untimely death of a man who was shot dead by his neighbor after the man's daughter supposedly touched his mulch while the family was on a walk in their suburban neighborhood.
According to WMYD, 35-year-old Nathan Morris was on a walk in the afternoon with his wife and two daughters, ages two and five, when their neighbor, 47-year-old Deveraux Christopher Johnson, confronted him and began an argument over mulch. Morris, a GOP party member involved in local politics, was then shot in the head by Johnson.
After the shooting, police said that Johnson barricaded himself inside of his home before eventually surrendering to authorities. When he walked out of his house, he repeatedly said, "Praise God Almighty." When police arrived on scene, they discovered Morris with a gunshot wound in the street. Morris was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has charged Johnson with first-degree murder, firearms possession, and two counts of felony firearm in relation to the horrible tragedy. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf and he is being held without bond. The prosecutor's office is asking for a competency hearing for Johnson, whose next court appearance is scheduled for August 23rd.
In a statement, Canton Police Chief Chad Baugh said, "This was a senseless act of violence toward the victim. The Canton Police Department sends our deepest condolences to the victim's family and to the neighbors who may have witnessed this tragic event."
In a post on X, Hima Kolanagireddy, RNC national committee member and former chair of the 6th CDRC, wrote on the Michigan's GOP's account that Morris had served as the secretary of Michigan's 6th Congressional District Republican Committee. In the post, Kolanagireddy said that Morris was a "friend, a fellow patriot, a strong Christian, a wonderful husband to Becky, and a great dad to Molly and Zoey."
The post added, "Nathan is one of those few guys who are near perfect. He would do no harm and think no harm. He is just an amazing and gentle soul. He will be missed dearly." She said that Morris and his family were on a walk when Johnson pulled out a gun and began threatening them after his daughter touched the mulch. She said, "Morris sent his family home and said that he would try and diffuse the situation, but instead was shot and killed."
One neighbor, Vish Vadari, said that his wife witnessed the shooting while outside gardening, adding that the incident has left her traumatized. He said, "We came down and saw this gentleman right in front of my house going inside the garage and closing the garage right away, and then I see this guy on the street. I didn't realize the scariness until two neighbors to my right, they have three kids, and they found a bullet hole in their kitchen."
Neighbors say that Johnson has had a history of being combative with people in the neighborhood, threatening some and even getting violent with them in the past. Vadari said that in recent weeks, Johnson had gotten more erratic with his actions towards the neighbors. He said, "Everybody has been telling their wives and kids be careful, don't [make] eye to eye contact. Don't walk across alone." Johnson reportedly lived in the neighborhood for 12 years. He also has criminal sexual conduct charges from the 1990s.
Edward McCall, a family friend of Morris said, "He was a great man, a real gentleman, a real father figure and I'm just kind of sorting through the kind of loss this represents for his family. For me, I lost a friend, but there are other people who lost a lot more than I did." McCall created a fundraising page to help Morris' family.
According to WMYD, 35-year-old Nathan Morris was on a walk in the afternoon with his wife and two daughters, ages two and five, when their neighbor, 47-year-old Deveraux Christopher Johnson, confronted him and began an argument over mulch. Morris, a GOP party member involved in local politics, was then shot in the head by Johnson.
After the shooting, police said that Johnson barricaded himself inside of his home before eventually surrendering to authorities. When he walked out of his house, he repeatedly said, "Praise God Almighty." When police arrived on scene, they discovered Morris with a gunshot wound in the street. Morris was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has charged Johnson with first-degree murder, firearms possession, and two counts of felony firearm in relation to the horrible tragedy. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf and he is being held without bond. The prosecutor's office is asking for a competency hearing for Johnson, whose next court appearance is scheduled for August 23rd.
In a statement, Canton Police Chief Chad Baugh said, "This was a senseless act of violence toward the victim. The Canton Police Department sends our deepest condolences to the victim's family and to the neighbors who may have witnessed this tragic event."
In a post on X, Hima Kolanagireddy, RNC national committee member and former chair of the 6th CDRC, wrote on the Michigan's GOP's account that Morris had served as the secretary of Michigan's 6th Congressional District Republican Committee. In the post, Kolanagireddy said that Morris was a "friend, a fellow patriot, a strong Christian, a wonderful husband to Becky, and a great dad to Molly and Zoey."
The post added, "Nathan is one of those few guys who are near perfect. He would do no harm and think no harm. He is just an amazing and gentle soul. He will be missed dearly." She said that Morris and his family were on a walk when Johnson pulled out a gun and began threatening them after his daughter touched the mulch. She said, "Morris sent his family home and said that he would try and diffuse the situation, but instead was shot and killed."
One neighbor, Vish Vadari, said that his wife witnessed the shooting while outside gardening, adding that the incident has left her traumatized. He said, "We came down and saw this gentleman right in front of my house going inside the garage and closing the garage right away, and then I see this guy on the street. I didn't realize the scariness until two neighbors to my right, they have three kids, and they found a bullet hole in their kitchen."
Neighbors say that Johnson has had a history of being combative with people in the neighborhood, threatening some and even getting violent with them in the past. Vadari said that in recent weeks, Johnson had gotten more erratic with his actions towards the neighbors. He said, "Everybody has been telling their wives and kids be careful, don't [make] eye to eye contact. Don't walk across alone." Johnson reportedly lived in the neighborhood for 12 years. He also has criminal sexual conduct charges from the 1990s.
Edward McCall, a family friend of Morris said, "He was a great man, a real gentleman, a real father figure and I'm just kind of sorting through the kind of loss this represents for his family. For me, I lost a friend, but there are other people who lost a lot more than I did." McCall created a fundraising page to help Morris' family.
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Comments
2024-08-16T19:29-0400 | Comment by: Dawn
The court system has GOT to do a better job of keeping violent offenders off our streets. The fact this guy has a history of violence and was free to murder someone in cold blood is beyond reprehensible. I don't blame cops for this. I blame lazy prosecutors and judges (and juries) who refuse to sentence these folks to real jail time for their crimes.