Family still fights for justice 1 year after son was killed pumping gas
DETROIT (FOX 2) - The family of Devante Bridges celebrated what would have been his 26th birthday on Wednesday.
He was 24 when five shots fired in the span of four seconds, tragically killed him in July of 2022. Bridges, a business owner, was shot and killed while he was pumping gas.
A suspect was caught on camera but no arrests were ever made. The case is now cold but Devante's mother is determined to change that.
"When something like this happens. it takes you by surprise because he is doing the right things and then all of the sudden he is taken away - for what reason?" said Doretha Craig, his mother.
The gunman was wearing a reflective vest crossing the parking lot at the Sunoco gas station on Seven Mile near Braile Street in Detroit.
The killer walks out of camera frame firing the fatal shots, striking Bridges. That same suspect then ran back the way he came, leaving Bridges to die on July 24th, 2022.
Wednesday night a crowd of loved ones gathered, forced to celebrate his memory.
"This is a special occasion he would have been 26 years old today," Craig said.
Bridges worked multiple jobs, owned his clothing line called One Kind Detroit and impacted so many lives in 24 years.
For those reasons and more, his mother fights for him now.
"I have a ritual every two weeks, I check in with the detectives," she said.
Related: 'Someone knows who did this': Family of man killed at gas station wants justice
She’s joined forces with community activist groups like Force Detroit and Community Violence Leadership Coalition in her quest for justice.
"I’m learning how the system works," Craig said. "It’s not fair, there's a lot of red tape. But as a parent I’m jumping all the red tape. I don’t have rules to follow."
All while making sure the life and legacy of her son is maintained.
"I can go to sleep at night knowing that I did all I can do for my child," she said.
