Black Woman Shot Dead After Seeking Help in a White Neighborhood

What happened to Renisha McBride?

A 19-year-old black woman was shot dead on Saturday, November 2, 2013, by a white resident in Dearborn Heights, a suburb of Detroit.

Renisha McBride got into a car accident in Dearborn Heights that night. Her cell phone had run out of battery, so she went to ask for help from one of the residents. She knocked on the door of the nearest house — and instead of receiving help, she was shot dead by the resident.

How did the police first respond?

Jezebel reported that Dearborn Heights police initially told McBride's family her body was found dumped in another area of town — but then changed their story, saying she was shot in self-defense on the homeowner's front porch. Michigan is a Stand Your Ground state.

What did the family say?

"He shot her in the head... for what? For knocking on his door," McBride's aunt Bernita Spinks told the Detroit News. "If he felt scared or threatened, he should have called 911."

Spinks felt it was a case of racism and sought justice. Police identified the shooter as a white male in his 50s.

What happened to the shooter?

The shooter, Theodore Wafer, was charged in the case. In August 2014, a jury convicted him of second-degree murder, and he was sentenced to 17 to 32 years in prison.

Editor's note: several original 2013 links (Press and Guide, Detroit News) no longer resolve; the facts above are preserved as originally reported, with the verified 2014 trial outcome added.