GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Nearly a year after 15-year-old Amillier Penn was shot and killed in Grand Rapids, a suspect has been criminally charged.
Cartiyae Pascal was formally charged with open murder in connection with the death of Penn, according to the Grand Rapids Police Department. The 17-year-old was arraigned as an adult in 61st District Court on Tuesday.
Watch: Grand Rapids police chief speaks on charges in Amillier Penn homicide case
The shooting happened June 2, 2024, on Umatilla Street near Madison Avenue on the city's southeast side. Investigators have said Penn had been playing a game of football with friends.
FOX 17 spoke with Penn's family in the months following his death. They asked the public to speak up if they knew something about the case.
A reward was also offered for information leading to an arrest.
The investigation gained renewed interest in April 2025, when it was featured during the first episode of "All Access PD: Grand Rapids" on Investigation Discovery. The series promised an unprecedented level of access inside Grand Rapids' police department.
During the episode, investigators revealed they had been focused on Pascal as a potential suspect for months.
However detectives were frustrated by a lack of evidence and witness testimony that could tie Pascal to Penn's murder.
Then on September 1, 2024, another shooting gave police reason to arrest Pascal. The shooting outside a southeast convenience store was captured by security cameras, showing Pascal allegedly firing multiple times at a person who walked out of the store.
He's criminally charged in that case.
“For nearly a year, GRPD detectives have been following every lead and every tip, painstakingly building this case to bring justice for Milli and his family,” said Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom. “The brazen murder of a 15-year-old child, out playing football with his friends, is one that I hope our city will never forget. I know that there are many people in Grand Rapids and across the country who have been invested in justice for Milli. While it can never erase the sense of loss, I hope that gives some measure of healing to his family and loved ones."
Investigators used statements from multiple witnesses who said Pascal admitted to them he killed Penn, according to court documents. Detectives established Pascal and Penn had fought each other several times before June 2024. One of those fights was recorded, with the video in the hands of police.
A surveillance camera captured the shooting, showing the suspect running after the shots were fired to a home where Pascal lived. Detectives told the judge the video is not clear enough to positively identify Pascal, per court records.
When officers searched Pascal's phone, they found more evidence linking the teen to Penn's death, including pictures and videos of Pascal posing with guns.
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