'A quiet guy, a nice kid': Father of MSU student shot to death in Howell shares his grief

FOX 2 (WJBK) - The father of a 20-year-old Michigan State University student found shot to death in Howell Friday is in disbelief.

Robert Okagbare in Walled Lake, couldn’t find the words to express his grief, but wanted to talk to FOX 2 about his son, Wede.

"He’s a very hardworking kid. For this to happen, I just, I don’t know what to say," he said.

Hours earlier he got the phone call that someone shot and killed his son at a house in Howell.

"When I spoke to the police this afternoon, they said they think they have someone in custody, but they don’t know yet if he’s the one who actually did the killing," Robert said. "Right now hopefully someone will help us do some investigation as to what actually transpired."

SkyFOX found several Howell police and Livingston County Sheriff’s Officers around the home on West Street.

Robert says Wede’s girlfriend discovered his son’s body — shot six times.

He tells us no one was at the home during the shooting.

When FOX 2 returned to West Street, crime scene tape surrounded the house and a car was in the driveway, but no one appeared to be inside.

FOX 2: "Was there any sign that he was in trouble?"

"I think about four months ago, some group of friends that probably knew the girlfriend before, they beat him up," said Robert.

His father says that the fight was while Wede Okagbare was at Michigan State.

Wede appeared to move on from that attack. His father said he did a summer internship and worked two jobs to help his family pay the bills.

Before Friday’s shooting, Wede had moved some of his belongings to an off-campus apartment in East Lansing.

Howell police say there is no threat to the public because someone is in custody.

Still there are questions — like why was Wede at the home in Howell, when no one else was there?

Also what is the relationship between Wede and the person in custody?

Those questions and more which will keep Robert up at night.

FOX 2: What was he like? What were his interests? What were his hobbies? What was his personality like?"

"I have a computer background. He took after me," Robert said. "So he liked computers. He was a quiet guy. He’s a nice kid."

To make matters worse, Wede’s father doesn’t have any insurance and is going through financial struggles. He’s hoping to get help to bury his son.

Wede Okagbare