Relatives said Henry Grimes III had tried to calm a family argument before violence followed him to a west-side gas station.
DETROIT, MI — A 57-year-old Detroit man was fatally shot Monday morning at a gas station on the city’s west side after relatives said he had stepped into a family dispute and tried to keep the peace.
Family members identified the man as Henry Grimes III. Detroit police responded at about 8:49 a.m. to a Marathon gas station in the 16000 block of West McNichols Road, near Mansfield Street, and found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Medics took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police had not announced an arrest or released suspect information as of Monday. The department’s initial account did not establish what led to the shooting or whether the victim knew the person who fired the shots. Relatives later told WXYZ-TV that the violence followed an argument involving Grimes’ nephew and the mother of the nephew’s child.
Hakim James, who identified Grimes as his uncle, said the dispute began at a nearby home. James said Grimes intervened and separated the people involved in the argument. Grimes and his nephew later went to the gas station, where James said another confrontation occurred involving people connected to the earlier dispute.
James’ account has not been independently confirmed by police. Authorities have not publicly identified a suspected shooter, described how many people were involved or said whether anyone else was injured. Police also have not announced a motive.
Another family member, Sheila Calvin, told WXYZ that the original dispute involved disagreement over which school a child should attend. She described Grimes as quiet and caring and said he had become involved because he was trying to make peace between relatives.
Police dispatch audio reported by WXYZ indicated investigators were reviewing nearby camera footage after the shooting. Authorities have not publicly disclosed what any surveillance video shows or whether investigators have identified a vehicle or person of interest.
The shooting occurred at a fuel station listed at 16140 W. McNichols Road in state records. The location sits along a commercial stretch of McNichols on Detroit’s west side. Police have not said whether the shooting occurred inside the business, in its parking area or elsewhere on the property.
The Detroit Police Department’s Homicide Unit is investigating. Police have asked anyone with information to contact investigators or Crime Stoppers. No arrests had been announced Monday night, and officials had not released additional details about a possible suspect.
Author note: Last updated October 12, 2026.