Photo: Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office
Three people are in custody and a Michigan Facebook celebrity is dead after being shot on a livestream following an argument with social media commenters.
On Wednesday, the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office said in areleasethat on June 28 at 11 a.m. police received “multiple calls of shots fired with a man laying on the ground” on Nash Avenue in Ypsilanti.
On July 1, three people were arrested for their alleged connection to the fatal shooting. One Ypsilanti City man, 24, was taken into custody in Georgia and is “in the process” of being transferred to Washtenaw County on pending charges, officials said. His identity was not released.
The sheriff’s office added that two women — Martita Bonner, 41, from Ypsilanti Township and Jermia Castion, 25, of Ypsilanti — have also been arraigned for conspiracy to commit homicide/open murder. They are both being held at the Washtenaw County Jail on a $1 million bond.
It’s not clear if Castion and Bonner have lawyers to comment on their behalf.
During the livestream, Smith — who was famous for his “brutally honest” Facebook live sessions titled “Rells Corner” — was showing love for his hometown, according toWDIVin Detroit.
“What makes y’all think because y’all moved that ya’ll better than Ypsi?” he said, per the outlet. “Y’all aren’t better than Ypsi. Ya’ll a product of Ypsi.”
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
He then went back and forth with a commenter who threatened him, officials told WDIV, and Smith reportedly said in response, “Now y’all on Facebook, ‘I’m riding around with 60 shots.’ "
An individual went to Smith’s Ypsilanti Township home when he said, “OK, we’ve got action. We’ve got action,” according to WDIV.
Smith’s mother, Genniece Smith, has since spoken out and told Detroit’sFOX2that her son “was a comedian. He disrespected people and they got mad. Words can’t kill you..a gun can.”
She added, “Two gunmen got out, shot at Terrill.”
Genniece said the dispute began after Terrill laughed at a video of someone in fight.
“My son put up a video of her son getting knocked out,” she told FOX2. “A lot of people didn’t like [Terrill] — so what! People cannot kill people for talking. A family was mad at [Terrill], they got on Facebook Live and said they were going to slap me and kill him.”
Continued Genniece: “God has the last say. But right now, the devil came and took my son.”
Police said in their release that the investigation is still open and asked for the public’s help in finding anyone who is involved. Those with information are encouraged to contact Detective Yeager at yeagerb@washtenaw.org or at 734-476-9594. Anonymous tips can be submitted to 734-973-7711, or provide a confidential tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SpeakUP.
source: people.com
