Black VoicesRenisha McBriderenisha mcbride murderrenisha mcbride shooting

Renisha McBride Autopsy Shows Death Ruled A Homicide, 19-Year-Old Shot In Face

Slain Teen's Death Ruled Homicide After Autopsy
Open Image Modal
By 

On Assignment For HuffPost

An autopsy report for the 19-year-old woman allegedly slain by a homeowner while possibly trying to get help after an accident shows she was shot in the face, not at close range.

Renisha McBride was killed Nov. 2 in Dearborn Heights, Mich. She had a car accident in neighboring Detroit earlier in the night, and her family believes she went to a house seeking help after her phone died. She was shot in the face at the home and died.

In an autopsy report from the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office, her death was ruled a homicide.

“There was an entrance shotgun wound to the face, with no evidence of close-range discharge of a firearm noted on the skin surrounding this wound," the report states. (Read the full report at the Detroit News.)

McBride's clothing was wet, the report also reveals.

The homeowner, a 54-year-old man who lives alone, believed someone was breaking and entering the night McBride found his doorstep.

"On that night he was woken up. ... Everything was dark in the house, and he was awoken by sounds of a person or persons trying to get into his home," said his lawyer, Cheryl Carpenter.

Dearborn Heights police have released little information about the homeowner or incident, and no one has been arrested or charged in the case. Their original warrant request to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office was returned for the cops to continue investigating. The prosecutor's office is still waiting for "several items" from the police, but is reviewing the request again, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Carpenter told the Detroit News she believes that when further evidence will show that the homeowner was "justified and acted as a reasonable person would who was in fear for his life."

In an earlier report from the Detroit Free Press, police said the homeowner told them he discharged his gun accidentally. Carpenter wouldn't comment on that possibility.

McBride's family had said they think she was the victim of racial profiling. The homeowner's identity has not been revealed, but McBride's killing in a majority-white neighborhood has led others to make similar claims, with many wondering how a young woman reportedly looking for help ended up dead. Others have connected her case to other unarmed African-American shooting victims, like Trayvon Martin and Jonathan Ferrell.

National figures like the Rev. Al Sharpton and U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Detroit), as well as the local branch of the NAACP, have called for a full investigation to find justice for McBride. A rally was held Saturday, following a protest in front of the Dearborn Heights police station Thursday.

Writer and filmmaker Dream Hampton helped organize Thursday's gathering and called for transparency in the case, as well as an arrest.

"I think that this is racism no matter who does or doesn't frame it this way," she said. "The only victim in this case is Renisha McBride."

Support HuffPost

At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.

Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.

Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your will go a long way.

Support HuffPost

Before You Go

Pivotal Moments In The Federal Gun Control Debate
1981: The Attempted Assassination Of President Ronald Reagan(01 of10)
Open Image Modal
on March 30, 1981, President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded in an assassination attempt by John Hinckley, Jr. outside the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Reagan's press secretary, Jim Brady, was shot in the head. (credit:Ron Edmonds, AP)
1993: The Brady Handgun Violence Act (02 of10)
Open Image Modal
The Brady Handgun Violence Act of 1993, signed into law by President Bill Clinton, mandated that federally licensed dealers complete comprehensive background checks on individuals before selling them a gun. The legislation was named for James Brady, who was shot during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
1994: The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act(03 of10)
Open Image Modal
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994, instituted a ban on 19 kinds of assault weapons, including Uzis and AK-47s. The crime bill also banned the possession of magazines holding more than ten rounds of ammunition. (An exemption was made for weapons and magazines manufactured prior to the ban.)
2004: Law Banning Magazines Holding More Than Ten Rounds Of Ammunition Expires(04 of10)
Open Image Modal
In 2004, ten years after it first became law, Congress allowed a provision banning possession of magazines holding more than ten rounds of ammunition to expire through a sunset provision. Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke told HuffPost that the expiration of this provision meant that Rep. Gabby Giffords's alleged shooter was able to fire off 20-plus shots without reloading (under the former law he would have had only ten).
2007: The U.S. Court of Appeals For The District Of Columbia Rules In Favor Of Dick Heller(05 of10)
Open Image Modal
In 2007 The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled to allow Dick Heller, a licensed District police officer, to keep a handgun in his home in Washington, D.C. Following that ruling, the defendants petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case.
2008: The NICS Improvement Amendments Act(06 of10)
Open Image Modal
Following the deadly shooting at Virginia Tech University, Congress passed legislation to require states provide data on mentally unsound individuals to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, with the aim of halting gun purchases by the mentally ill, and others prohibited from possessing firearms. The bill was signed into law by President George W. Bush in January of 2008.
2008: Supreme Court Strikes Down D.C. Handgun Ban As Unconstitutional(07 of10)
Open Image Modal
In June of 2008, the United States Supreme Court upheld the verdict of a lower court ruling the D.C. handgun ban unconstitutional in the landmark case District of Columbia v. Heller.
Gabrielle Giffords And Trayvon Martin Shootings(08 of10)
Open Image Modal
Gun control advocates had high hopes that reform efforts would have increased momentum in the wake of two tragic events that rocked the nation.In January of 2011, Jared Loughner opened fire at an event held by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), killing six and injuring 13, including the congresswoman. Resulting attempts to push gun control legislation proved fruitless, with neither proposal even succeeding in gaining a single GOP co-sponsor.More than a year after that shooting, Florida teenager Trayvon Martin was gunned down by George Zimmerman in an event that some believed would bring increased scrutiny on the nation's Stand Your Ground laws. While there has been increasing discussion over the nature of those statutes, lawmakers were quick to concede that they had little faith the event would effectively spur gun control legislation, thanks largely to the National Rifle Association's vast lobbying power.Read more here: (credit:AP)
Colorado Movie Theater Shooting(09 of10)
Open Image Modal
In July of 2012, a heavily armed gunman opened fire on theatergoers attending a midnight premiere of the final film of the latest Batman trilogy, killing 12 and wounding scores more.The suspect, James Eagan Holmes, allegedly carried out the act with a number of handguns, as well as an AR-15 assault rifle with a 100-round drum magazine.Some lawmakers used the incident, which took place in a state with some of the laxest gun control laws, to bring forth legislation designed to place increased regulations on access to such weapons, but many observers, citing previous experience, were hesitant to say that they would be able to overcome the power of the National Rifle Association and Washington gun lobby. (credit:AP)
Sikh Temple Shooting(10 of10)
Open Image Modal
On August 5, 2012, white supremacist Wade Michael Page opened fire on a Sikhs gathered at a temple in Oak Creek, Wis., killing six and wounding four more before turning the gun on himself. (credit:AP)
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip