Conviction and Charges
A Detroit man, Winston Kirtley Jr., was convicted Wednesday for fatally shooting two people and wounding six others following an argument about a vehicle blocking his driveway. A jury found Kirtley guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, six counts of assault with intent to murder, and 10 counts of using a firearm during a felony, as stated by Wayne County prosecutors.
The Incident
The shooting incident occurred on July 31, 2022, resulting in the deaths of Toyake Thirkeild, 39, and Andre Willis, 38. Kirtley testified that the altercation began around 2:30 a.m. when he was preparing to exercise and found an SUV blocking his driveway.
Kirtley’s Testimony
According to Kirtley, he asked Willis three times to move the vehicle. He claimed Willis responded dismissively and then pulled out a black pistol, which prompted Kirtley to retrieve his own gun from his house. “I was scared and confused of him shooting me. I came back out and shot the Durango. I felt my life was in danger,” Kirtley testified.
Kirtley stated that he heard gunshots from across the street before he retrieved his assault-style rifle and fired 16 times at Willis and Thirkeild, and an additional three times at two other men.
Defense and Prosecution Arguments
Defense attorney James Schlaff argued that Kirtley believed he was about to be harmed or killed when he saw Willis with a gun. However, Assistant Prosecutor James Kehoe countered during closing arguments that there was no evidence Willis had a gun. Kehoe highlighted that a slug had struck a neighbor’s home before one of the wounded men began shooting at Kirtley.
Prosecution’s Statement
“This gun is being shot at everyone because this is a mass shooting,” Kehoe stated. “He meant to pull that trigger and he meant to do it at least 19 times. He wasn’t threatened. He wasn’t provoked.”
