GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — An 18-year-old who is a suspect in two separate shootings out of Grand Rapids began to argue his defense in the first case to reach trial on Tuesday.
Cartiyae Pascal faces attempted murder charges in connection to a shooting outside a convenience story on September 1, 2024. Pascal ambushed a man outside the Liquor City convenience store on Madison Avenue and shot him 5 times, said police.
Pascal represented himself in court, delivering his own opening statement in the case.
"It's easy for them to say this is who did it, but I come to tell you now that this is a case of mistake identification," Pascal said.
However, investigators said they arrested the right person, showing the jury surveillance video that captured the shooting.
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In her opening statement, Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Elizabeth Bartlett told jurors the victim's mother sent her son into the store to buy some things, not knowing Pascal was inside.
"She sends her son into the store to get these couple of items for her, having no idea that she is sending him into the hands of this defendant, that she is sending him in to an attempted execution," Bartlett said.
The victim's mother took to the stand on Tuesday, recalling what she saw that day.
"It's enough. You shot him enough, and he took off running," she said.
According to HBO's "All Access PD: Grand Rapids," Pascal was already on Grand Rapids Police Department's radar in a separate investigation — a murder case.
In June 2024, 15-year-old Ammiler Penn was shot and killed while playing football. Detectives were frustrated by a lack of witness testimony in that case.
It wasn't until nearly a year later, in May of 2025, Pascal was formally charged with killing Penn, more than 8 months after the shooting outside the convenience store.
Detective Tony Leonard spoke about the impact of Pascal's arrest during a press conference in 2025.
"I think it was very helpful for people to realize that the primary suspect was incarcerated; it did not pose a threat to anyone else," Leonard said.
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Pascal's next court appearance in Penn's case is scheduled for later this year. Pascal is back in court Wednesday in the attempted murder trial.
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