MOUNT PLEASANT, MI - MARCH 02: Michigan State Police cars are on the scene of the shooting at Central Michigan University on March 2, 2018 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Two people were killed in an on-campus shooting at Central Michigan University. The University is on lockdown as the police search for the suspect, a 19-year-old man. (Photo by Rachel Woolf/Getty Images)
Michigan police reportedly discovered the deceased bodies of three Black men–two aspiring rappers and their friend–who went missing on Jan. 21. The Michigan State Police Second District published tweets on the evening of Feb. 2. confirming they found “multiple victims” in a rat-invested “aba65ndoned apartment complex.”
Though MSP declined to identify the victims, citing sensitivity to the families, The Detroit News confirmed the victims’ identities from three police sources close to the investigation. The bodies reportedly belong to Armani Kelly, 27, Dante Wicker, 31, and Montoya Givens, 31.
Armani, Dante, and Montoya were together on the mentioned date for a gig at the Detroit venue, Lounge 31. Armani, stage name Marley Whoop, and Dante, stage name B12, had booked performances at a birthday party. On the night of the gig, Jan. 21, Armani reportedly picked up Dante and Montoya.
But before the event’s start, Armani told his fiancée, Taylor Perrin, that equipment issues caused the gig’s cancellation. So it’s unclear if the men ever made it to or inside Lounge 31. However, they had reportedly decided to find an open mic night to perform at and had been ‘missing’ ever since.
Taylor said her texts, calls, and Facebook messages to Armani went unanswered after 7:30 p.m. local time.
According to Armani’s fiancée Taylor, the three friends met in prison. Montoya’s mother also confirmed that Montoya and Armani knew each other from prison.
Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman Chris Gautz told Detroit News that Montoya and Armani were in prs from August 2017 to March 2022. All three men were in prison for separate convictions of armed robbery and carjacking.
Michigan police are still piecing together how the men ended up in the Highland Park building. However, they had several breaks in the case, including cell phone tower activity, the arrest of a teenager found driving Armani’s car, and surveillance footage.
According to Detroit News, police came upon the abandoned building after accessing cell data from the three men, which “pinged” in an area near the complex. After searching the complex, officials discovered Armani, Dante, and Montoya in the basement underneath “mounds of debris.” They were reportedly shot, per Detroit News sources.
Last week, while investigating, police arrested a 15-year-old boy who was driving Armani’s 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The car did not have a license plate. A police source told Detroit News that the teenager said an adult male instructed him to pick up the vehicle from Detroit’s west side. The teen is facing charges connected to possession of Armani’s car.
After searching the boy’s phone, officials found texts and calls to the man mentioned. The adult male was reportedly taken into custody for questioning after police executed a search warrant for his home. He had an “outstanding warrant involving alleged fraud.”
At this time, it’s unclear if the adult male or 15-year-old are connected to the deaths.
Per Detroit News, surveillance footage also showed a man wearing gloves cleaning out Armani’s car. However, it’s unclear if that man is the same person who the police took into custody.
This story is still developing.
