Michigan teen found dead in Detroit basement after party
Jacob Hills, a recent high school graduate of Grand Blanc, Michigan, and soon-to-be National Guard enlistee was found dead Monday after attending a party in Detroit, according to police.
Detroit police said Wednesday that they are interviewing people who were with Jacob Hills, a recent high school graduate of Grand Blanc, Michigan, on the night before his disappearance and death.
Authorities are interviewing a friend of Hills' that the 18-year-old was in contact with on Saturday evening, when he was last seen before he was found shot to death on Monday. Police have also "made contact with" a second individual and friend of Hill's who was with him on Saturday.
"The information we're working with indicates that he willingly came to the city and … encountered someone that decided to take his life," Detroit Police Department Commander Michael McGinnis said during a Wednesday press briefing, shutting down reports that the 18-year-old was "lured" into the city.
Hills — an 18-year-old, prospective National Guard enlistee — was found dead in a Detroit basement on Monday morning, more than a day after he traveled to the city for a party on Saturday.
His mother, Sadie Hills, told WXYZ that her son had recently purchased a rifle, which he had "in his car when he went down" to Detroit on Saturday, where she believed her son was "lured" because of the new gun and graduation money.
Hills' family noticed that he was missing on Sunday, at which point they tracked his phone to Dearborn Heights, where they located both his phone and his abandoned vehicle. They filed a missing persons report that day, and Hills' father received an anonymous phone call informing him of Hills' whereabouts at the Detroit apartment on West Warren Avenue.
Authorities responded to the location on Monday morning, where they located Hills, who had been shot multiple times.
Detroit police do not have any suspects in the case as of Wednesday afternoon.
Detroit Police Commander Michael McGinnis pushed back against reports that Jacob Hills was "lured" to a party in Detroit. (Detroit Police Department)
McGinnis also pushed back against those comments, saying their investigation thus far "does not indicate anything about a gun sale" involved in the teenager's death.
Hills legally purchased the weapon in Oakland County, Michigan, according to the police commander, who stressed his belief that too many Detroit-area teenagers are in possession of firearms that lead to violence.
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"One thing we're seeing in the violence is, often times, juveniles are involved and in possession of firearms and committing violent acts," he said.
McGinnis also announced that authorities have taken four individuals into custody in connection to the shooting death of a 13-year-old victim that allegedly occurred over a stolen cellphone.
Jacob Hills, an 18-year-old National Guard hopeful, was fatally shot multiple times in Detroit over the weekend. (GoFundMe)
Initial reports speculated that Hills may have been in possession of an AR-15 that went missing at the time he was shot, but Detroit police confirmed to Fox News Digital that there is no missing firearm as of Tuesday afternoon.
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A GoFundMe to help with funeral costs for Hills' family titled "Donations for Jacob Hills’ Father & Stepmother," said the 18-year-old leaves behind two sisters, ages 8 and 13, and a 14-year-old brother.
"He was good, so so good, with a heart of gold. His parents do not know I have created this page, however, the thought of them having to worry about bills at this time is inconceivable. If you’re able, please consider helping this loving family as they try to heal their hearts," the GoFundMe description states.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the case to contact Detroit Police Homicide at 313-596-2260.
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