Teen's murder at Southfield hotel remains unsolved more than 2 years later -- What police are saying
Family still without answers 2 years after teen killed in Southfield
The two-year-anniversary of Tyler Johnson's death has just passed, and his family still doesn't know who killed him. The teen was found shot to death inside of a room at the Westin Hotel in Southfield, where he had been staying with friends, but no one is talking.
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - A family is still seeking answers more than two years after a teen boy was found shot to death inside a room at the Westin Hotel in Southfield.
Tyler Johnson, 15, was found suffering a gunshot wound to the head inside the hotel room where he had been staying with some friends on Feb. 11, 2024.
The backstory:
An adult had rented a room for a group of five teens, including Johnson. Two of those teens fled after the shooting, while two others were detained near the elevator.
Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren said one of the detained minors was in possession of two firearms. One of the guns was reported stolen out of Flint in June 2023, while the other weapon was unregistered. One of those guns was found to be the one that killed Johnson, Barren said.
Further investigation in the hotel room revealed a spent 40 caliber shell casing, 20 live rounds inside a 9mm extended magazine, marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms, and a scale, police said.
The teen who had the guns was charged with carrying concealed weapons, but no other charges have been filed.
Barren said the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office hasn't been able to charge anyone because investigators don't know what transpired inside the hotel room.
"We have physical evidence. We have circumstantial evidence. What we need is an eyewitness to bring those things together," he said at a press conference a year after the shooting.
According to Barren, the parents of the four teens who were with Johnson have retained lawyers, and no one is talking to investigators.
Southfield Westin shooting: Why no one has been charged after teen fatally shot
A year after 15-year-old Tyler Johnson was fatally shot at the Southfield Westin Hotel, police say they are missing one key piece of the puzzle - an eyewitness.
Where the case stands:
During a press conference around the one-year anniversary of Johnson's death, Barren said that he intended to have investigators attempt to interview the teens after they turned 18, but he recently said they are unable to do that.
"The prosecuting attorneys advised us that the right to counsel does transfer into adulthood," he said. "The only circumstance in which the police department can interview these young men is if they initiate a contact."
What's next:
Crime Stoppers is now offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest.
Tips can be submitted at 1800speakup.org or by calling 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
The Source: Previous reporting was used in this story.