15-year-old gunned down while playing football, MI cops say. Now, teen charged
A mourning family is now receiving answers nearly a year after their 15-year-old son was shot and killed while playing football, Michigan police said.
Amillier Penn, remembered by loved ones as Milli, was gunned down on June 2 in Grand Rapids, police Chief Eric Winstrom said in a May 13 news conference posted by WXMI.
“We know we can’t bring Milli back, but we can get answers for the family,” he said.
Now, 17-year-old Cartiyae Pascal has been charged with murder in the death of the teen, Winstrom said. Pascal, who is being charged as an adult, has been behind bars for months in connection with a separate shooting that occurred in September, police said.
Because the teen was in jail, officers said they took more time in their investigation.
“That urgency for us to incapacitate this individual because of the propensity for violence was not there because he was already incapacitated,” Winstrom said.
Pascal’s name first appeared in connection with the case in a documentary released by the Grand Rapids Police Department on April 8, according to the trailer and WOOD.
“I talked to his mom and I made her a promise: We’re going to find his killer,” the chief said in the trailer.
Detective Tony Leonard said the documentary aided in the investigation.
“I think it revitalized the interest in Milli,” he said during the news conference. “Milli’s dad has been steadfast online advocating for his son and advocating for witnesses to come forward. I think it was very helpful for people to realize that the primary suspect was incarcerated and did not pose a threat to anyone else. That’s always a genuine concern of people coming forward.”
Investigators heavily relied on witnesses to come forward because there was no video surveillance of the incident, Winstrom said. However, he said witnesses were hesitant to speak to police.
Winstrom said they are still looking to speak to witnesses.
“It’s a sense of relief, but Milli’s gone and we’ve got another teenager who, his life is impacted by this as well,” he said.
Pascal was arraigned on May 13 and is held in jail without bond, police said.
This story was originally published May 14, 2025 at 11:42 AM with the headline "15-year-old gunned down while playing football, MI cops say. Now, teen charged."
