Current:Home > NewsCourt throws out manslaughter charge against clerk in Detroit gas station shooting-InfoLens
Court throws out manslaughter charge against clerk in Detroit gas station shooting
View Date:2024-12-23 16:22:20
DETROIT (AP) — The Michigan Court of Appeals threw out a manslaughter charge against a Detroit gas station clerk who locked the door before an angry customer shot three bystanders, killing one.
Prosecutors have argued that clerk Al-Hassan Aiyash’s actions make him criminally responsible. But the appeals court said an involuntary manslaughter charge doesn’t fit.
It was “not reasonably foreseeable” that the customer, Samuel McCray, would pull out a gun and start shooting, the court said Wednesday.
Aiyash was working behind protective glass at 3 a.m. when McCray’s failed attempt to make a $3.80 electronic purchase turned into violence in May 2023.
Video showed McCray repeatedly cursing and insisting he was going to leave the gas station with the items. Three more people entered before Aiyash pushed a button to lock the door, keeping the four inside.
The door was eventually unlocked. But before anyone could leave, one person was fatally shot and two more were wounded.
Prosecutors seeking to keep the case on track cited a groundbreaking 2023 legal precedent that cleared the way for charges against the parents of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley. Authorities said their son’s actions were foreseeable.
The appeals court, however, said the Crumbley case is not a match.
“Holding a defendant criminally liable for a third party’s intentional misconduct remains the exception, not the rule,” the court said in a 3-0 opinion.
McCray, meanwhile, faces trial in October on murder and attempted murder charges.
___
Follow Ed White at https://twitter.com/edwritez
veryGood! (9)
Related
- Should Georgia bench Carson Beck with CFP at stake against Tennessee? That's not happening
- Beaches in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia closed to swimmers after medical waste washes ashore
- Ja'Marr Chase's outburst was ignited by NFL's controversial new hip-drop tackle rule
- Two ex-fire chiefs in New York City charged in corruption scandal
- NFL playoff picture Week 10: Lions stay out in front of loaded NFC field
- Ja'Marr Chase's outburst was ignited by NFL's controversial new hip-drop tackle rule
- Customer fatally shoots teenage Waffle House employee inside North Carolina store
- Medicare Open Enrollment is only 1 month away. Here are 3 things all retirees should know.
- 'Serial swatter': 18-year-old pleads guilty to making nearly 400 bomb threats, mass shooting calls
- Horoscopes Today, September 14, 2024
Ranking
- Brittany Cartwright Defends Hooking Up With Jax Taylor's Friend Amid Their Divorce
- Five college football Week 3 overreactions: Georgia in trouble? Arch Manning the starter?
- Ja'Marr Chase's outburst was ignited by NFL's controversial new hip-drop tackle rule
- Low Boom, High Pollution? NASA Readies for Supersonic Test Flight
- What is best start in NBA history? Five teams ahead of Cavaliers' 13-0 record
- The Coast Guard will hear from former OceanGate employees about the Titan implosion
- Why do election experts oppose hand-counting ballots?
- Baby Reindeer’s Nava Mau Reveals the Biggest Celeb Fan of the Series
Recommendation
-
Nevada trial set for ‘Dances with Wolves’ actor in newly-revived sex abuse case
-
You'll Melt Watching Selena Gomez's Goddaughter Cheer Her on at the 2024 Emmys
-
A Kentucky lawmaker has been critically injured in lawn mower accident
-
Abercrombie & Fitch Quietly Put Tons of Chic Styles on Sale – Score an Extra 25% off, Starting at $9
-
As the transition unfolds, Trump eyes one of his favorite targets: US intelligence
-
Officials ban swimming after medical waste washes ashore in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware
-
TikTokers Matt Howard and Abby Howard Slammed For Leaving Toddlers Alone in Cruise Ship Cabin
-
Why do election experts oppose hand-counting ballots?