What did Winston Kirtley Jr do? Man charged in Detroit parking dispute shooting that left two dead

On Wednesday, August 3, Detroit resident Winston Kirtley Jr. was formally charged in connection with a weekend mass shooting on the city's west side that left two people dead and six injured.

According to a statement from Detroit police, Winston Kirtley Jr., 36, was charged in 36th District Court with first-degree murder and assault with intent to murder and additional charges. He was arrested on Coyle Street in the early hours of Sunday.

Winston Kirtley Jr. is charged with two counts of murder, six counts of assault with intent to murder, two counts of discharge at a building and 10 counts of felony firearm.

Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement:

“I have always known that at times the most trivial events can cause the heaviest damage. The alleged motive here is way beyond the pale and has now changed lives forever.”

The prosecutor further added:

“It is clear and has been clear for some time that absolutely nothing is sacred when it comes to gun violence these days. It is also apparent that there is little political will to control the mechanisms behind it.”

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An in-depth look into the shooting caused by Winston Kirtley Jr

According to investigators, the incident took place at 2:44 am on Sunday, July 31, in the 11600 block of Coyle Street, close to Plymouth Road on Detroit's west side.

According to Detroit Police Chief James White, homeowner Winston Kirtley Jr. reportedly became outraged over how people had parked their cars for a birthday celebration across the street from his home.

White described the situation:

“This was a birthday party where people were parked all around the home, and our suspect became upset by where the vehicles were placed. My understanding is that perhaps one of the vehicles was blocking the driveway.”

Authorities said that Winston Kirtley Jr. fired shots from the first and second floors of his home. According to police, a quarrel over parking led to Kirtley firing several shots from what authorities described as a "high-powered rifle."

White said,

“Instead of contacting the police department, instead of notifying the NPOs, which we have to handle such matters, he decided to take matters into his own hands, engaging them, and ultimately shooting up the home, striking our eight victims, and again, two of them are sadly deceased.”

Police claimed to have found 11 guns hidden in various parts of Winston Kirtley's house.

Winston Kirtley Jr. was charged on Wednesday and booked into the Wayne County Jail. A magistrate sent Kirtley back into custody and scheduled a probable cause hearing for August 18.

White said in a statement:

“It’s incredibly sad that two families have to bury their loved ones who were killed over a minor dispute by someone who had no respect for the lives of others. Thankfully, our officers were able to take this suspect into custody before anyone else was hurt, but this shooting never should have happened.”

According to authorities, the victims wounded in the barrage of gunfire were taken to the hospital by ambulance when they were hurt in a collision near McNichols and Greenfield Roads.

Andre Willis Jr., 38, of Detroit, died at the scene. Police revealed on Monday that a second victim had passed away from her wounds. She was later identified as 39-year-old Detroit resident Toyake Thirkeild. However, the identities of the six others who were wounded in the shooting have not yet been confirmed by officials.