A 35-year-old Michigan father who worked in Republican politics was shot and killed by his neighbor while taking a walk with his daughter, during which she angered the neighbor by touching his mulch.
According to reports, the incident sparked an altercation between Canton resident Nathan Morris, a father of two who ran for school board and previously worked with the Michigan 6th Congressional District Republican Committee, and his 47-year-old neighbor, Devereaux Johnson.
“On Saturday, while taking a stroll with his family in his neighborhood, his daughter touched the mulch of one of the neighbors,” the Michigan GOP wrote in a statement released on X.
Nathan Morris was a friend, a fellow patriot, a strong Christian, a wonderful husband to Becky, and a great dad to Molly and Zoey. He was an engineer at Ford Motors and got involved in politics when Ford mandated COVID-19 vaccines. He ran for Canton School board to make schools…
— Michigan GOP (@MIGOP) August 11, 2024
“The neighbor took a gun out and started threatening the family. Nathan sent his family home and said that he would try and diffuse the situation, but instead was shot and killed.”
The Canton Police Department reported the suspect next attempted to barricade himself up in his house:
“Immediately following the shooting, the suspect barricaded himself inside his home. After issuing multiple commands, officers successfully engaged the suspect who ultimately surrendered into police custody. The suspect remains in jail pending a full investigation. At that time, the case will be turned over to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for review of charges.”
Morris, who worked as an engineer at Ford Motors, died after being transported to the hospital.
“Nate was a great Dad and good man,” a post by the Michigan GOP reportedly stated. “To think his life was taken because his daughter was playing with mulch in someone’s yard is unfathomable. Even in his final act as a dad he was protecting his children by sending them home while he tried to defuse the situation.”
On Monday, Detroit News reported Johnson was charged with first-degree murder. A mugshot has not yet been released.
A local news report shows the moment the man exited his home with his hands in the air.
Canton Police Chief Chad Baugh condemned the incident as “a senseless act of violence toward the victim.”
“The Canton Police Department sends our deepest condolences to the victim’s family, and to the neighbors who may have witnessed this tragic event,” Baugh said.
While there’s currently no information indicating politics may have played a role in the incident, a Facebook post by conservative radio host Ron Dwyer claimed Morris “was shot and killed by a crazed liberal neighbor.”
A GiveSendGo donation page set up for Morris’s family has raised over $20,000 as of writing.
