Detroit man gets life in prison for shooting 8, killing 2 after his driveway was blocked

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A Detroit man learned his fate Wednesday in connection with a mass shooting that killed two people and wounded six others in 2022 over a parking dispute.

"As you know she had nothing to do with it - I didn’t know her - I didn’t know any of those people actually," said Winston Kirtley, Jr.

Kirtley said this, right before a judge sentenced him to life in prison without the chance of parole for the murders of Andre Willis Jr. and Toyake Thirlkeild in July of 2022.

"I thank God that we were able to see what happened today in the courtroom," said Corey Jones, a cousin of one of the victims.

"The verdict was justice," said Ceola Jones, Willis, Andre's mother. "My son and Toyake did not deserve to die, especially the way that they died. I’m glad Kirtley is getting that he’s getting."

Kirtley shot several people on Coyle Street in Detroit — two years ago because one of them had parked in the street and blocked Kirtley’s driveway.

Willis and Thirlkeild died as a result of the shooting.

"He ruined more than those two lives, we were one great big family," she said.

"Dre - he represented a whole family by himself," Jones said. "So when he went to be with our father in heaven, a lot of people went with him, soul-wise, spiritually-wise and every other-wise."

The family has a message from everyone who is still coping with the tragedy.

"We need to stop and think before we pull a gun out - we have brains for that," Jones said. "We have guns for the military and for actual reasons - not for cars in our driveway."

Top left: Murder victims Toyake Thirlkeild and Andre Willis Jr. Bottom left: Gunman Winston Kirtley. Main photo: The families of Willis and Thirlkeild.