CANTON, MI – A man from Michigan is facing charges after allegedly murdering his neighbor following a street-side disagreement. On Monday, Devereaux Christopher Johnson, 47, was officially charged with first-degree murder by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office in connection to the fatal shooting incident.
Nathan Morris, 35, was gunned down while taking a stroll on Saturday morning. Morris, who was a father to two children and also a resident of Canton, was reportedly killed in the heated encounter initiated by Johnson, according to the prosecutor’s office. The confrontation escalated as Johnson allegedly opened fire multiple times on the defenseless Morris with a handgun.
After one of Morris’ daughters apparently interacted with Johnson’s mulch, Johnson allegedly turned hostile. He allegedly threatened Morris’ family, according to a statement given by Hima Kolanagireddy, a friend and colleague of Morris.
Shortly before noon Saturday, Canton police officers received reports of a shooting. Upon arrival at the scene, they found Morris lying in the street, nursing gunshot wounds. Morris was subsequently shifted to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
Following the fatal act, Johnson allegedly took refuge within his home but later surrendered, as per reports from the police. Along with the murder charge, Johnson was also accused of having a firearm as a felon.
Canton Police Chief, Chad Baugh, conveyed his deepest condolences to the victim’s family and eyewitnesses in a statement, branding the incident as a “senseless act of violence.”
Johnson could serve life imprisonment without any possibility for parole if found guilty of first-degree murder.
Morris, remembered as an “amazing and gentle soul” by Kolanagireddy, served as an engineer at Ford Motors and secretary at Wayne 6th County Republican Committee. He is survived by his decade-long wife and two young daughters.