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Two charged in murder of 2-year-old Brison Christian; Prosecutors say family's truck was mistakenly targeted

2-year-old killed on freeway
Posted at 2:45 PM, Jun 22, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-22 16:14:14-04

DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Wayne County Prosecutors Office has charged two men in connection with the shooting death of a two-year-old Dearborn boy on I-75 in Detroit.

Officials are now saying the shooting, which killed Brison Christian and injured his 9-year-old brother BJ was a case of mistaken identity.

Nineteen-year-old Darius Evonte Lanier and 21-year-old Eugene Meredith Hubbard have been charged with one count of First-Degree Murder, three counts of Assault with Intent to Murder, one count of Discharge from a Vehicle Causing Death, one count of Discharge from a Vehicle Causing Injury, two counts of Discharge from a Vehicle, and eight counts of Felony Firearm.

They were arraigned on the charges Tuesday afternoon and were both remanded to the Wayne County Jail.

Lanier and Hubbard are accused of opening fire on the car the boys were riding in, along with their mother and father, as they returned from BJ's basketball practice. Prosecutors say the suspects mistakenly identified the Christian's truck based on its color and make and that the Christian family were innocent victims.

Brison was shot in the head and died of his injuries. BJ was shot in the left arm. He was treated and released from the hospital. Their parents were not injured.

‘”The Christian family were completely innocent victims. This was a family returning from a child sports activity that were mistaken for others because of their truck. Two year old Brison Is dead and his nine year old brother barely escaped serious injury,” said Prosecutor Kym Worthy in a news release.” A child is dead because adults decided that they were judge, jury, and executioner. They will get a fair trial, but Brison doesn’t get to have a life.”