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Murdered Redford High School custodian was loving, giving and funny, family says
Steven Lee Gipson, 59, was a father of 5 and grandfather of ten. He was stabbed to death on Thursday, Nov. 2 while working as a janitorial custodian at Redford High School.
REDFORD CHARTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - A father of 5 and grandfather of ten was stabbed to death last Thursday while working as a janitorial custodian at a school in Redford Charter Township.
Steven Lee Gipson, 59, is remembered by his loved ones as a genuine family man who took care of everyone.
"He was supportive, loving, giving, funny," Gipson's step-daughter, LaShawnda McLean said. "He was known for his spaghetti, his mac and cheese – he loved to cook. He was the BBQ king."
To better support his wife and kids, Gipson worked two jobs – one of which was a custodian.
"He just was an outgoing person, there was nothing that he wouldn’t do for anybody," said Sherida Howard, another one of his step-daughters.
On Thursday, Nov. 2nd, Gipson was working at Redford Union High School when a fellow custodian, 42-year-old Hemida Ramadan-Khedr Mohamed, fatally stabbed him multiple times.
Police were called to the high school around 5:30 p.m. for reports of an assault at the school. When officers arrived, they found Gipson in a closet with stab wounds in his stomach. He was transported to a local hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
"We talked that morning," his wife, Angela Gipson, said. "He was going to be off the next day."
Gipson’s family say they believe his murder was an ambush.
"It wasn't a fight, he was murdered," Howard said. Mohamed "pulled his hood over his head and stabbed him. We don’t know how many times he stabbed him."
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When police arrived, they found the 59-year-old victim with stab wounds in his stomach in the closet.
Despite the pain, the family is receiving love and prayers from many.
"We're just going to continue that prayer and take it day by day," Angela Gipson said. "It’s going to be hard. I know it's going to be a struggle, but we're going to get through this. Like he said, family first."
On Monday, Mohamed was charged with first-degree murder in the 17th District Court.
"I want him to have life in prison," she added. "Life."