DETROIT — A Detroit man was convicted Wednesday of fatally shooting two people and wounding six others during an argument that started over a vehicle blocking his driveway.
A jury found Winston Kirtley Jr. guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, six counts of assault with intent to murder and 10 counts of using a firearm during a felony, Wayne County prosecutors said in a statement.
The shooting in which Toyake Thirkeild, 39, and Andre Willis, 38, were killed took place July 31, 2022.
Kirtley, who faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison, testified Tuesday that he was going to exercise about 2:30 a.m. and an SUV was blocking his driveway, The Detroit News reported.
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Willis and Thirkeild were in the vehicle. Kirtley said he asked Willis three times to move it, according to the newspaper.
Kirtley said Willis responded by saying “What?” several times.
“He pulled out a black pistol and pointed it at me, and I went to my house and grabbed my gun,” Kirtley testified. “I was scared and confused of him shooting me. I came back out and shot the Durango. I felt my life was in danger.”
Kirtley also said he heard gunshots from across the street before he retrieved his assault-style rifle and began firing. He said he shot 16 times at Willis and Thirkeild, and another three times at two other men.
Defense attorney James Schlaff told the jury that his client believed he was about to be harmed or killed when he saw Willis with a gun.
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But Assistant Prosecutor James Kehoe said during closing arguments that there was no evidence Willis had a gun. Kehoe also said a slug struck a neighbor’s home before one of the men who was wounded began shooting at Kirtley, according to The Detroit News.
“This gun is being shot at everyone because this is a mass shooting,” Kehoe said. “He meant to pull that trigger and he meant to do it at least 19 times. He wasn’t threatened. He wasn’t provoked.”
The Detroit Tigers head into the upcoming season with a couple of acquisitions on one-year deals who they hope will make a huge difference.
Alex Cobb was the first major domino to fall for the Tigers in free agency, and the goal is for the 13-year veteran to be a major piece of the starting rotation. But in signing Cobb, reactions from Detroit fans were mostly not great with age and durability concerns at the forefront of their minds.
The Tigers would go on to make a move that was fairly well received when they signed New York Yankees two-time All-Star second baseman Gleyber Torres on a one-year deal worth $15 million.
Torres struggled by his standards in 2024, but he’s still just 28 years old and brings some serious right-handed power to the lineup along with plate discipline. Being an experienced veteran who can help to lead a young team is also a plus.
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The slugger is betting on himself by signing a short-term deal with the hope he can cash in if he has a great year for Detroit.
One way or another, the contract he signs likely ends with him leaving the Tigers after just one season.
In a recent article naming Detroit players he expects gone within the calendar year of 2025, Jovan Alford of FanSided named Torres as one of them.
“If things work out with Torres, Detroit should try to re-sign him to a multi-year deal. But in case the Tigers’ season goes south, Detroit has a good trade chip to utilize.”
There’s a big difference between “should” and “will”, so while yes Detroit “should” try to sign Torres to a long-term deal if he produces at the level they hope he can, it certainly does not mean they will.
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This can go a few different ways for the slugger and the Tigers.
In one scenario, he has an outstanding season reminiscent of the first two years of his career. With Torres still two seasons away from 30 and not turning 29 until next winter, he would still be well within the range to receive a massive long-term deal from someone, and if it creeps close to the nine-figure range, don’t count on it being Detroit.
Alford also points out an interesting possibility in that if the season looks reminiscent for the team as it did in the first half of last year when they became deadline sellers, there’s a good chance Torres would be a desired trade piece for a contending team, a move the Tigers would gladly make if they aren’t in contention.
It will be interesting to see how things play out, but most signs are pointing to Torres being a one-and-done player in Detroit.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were fortunate to clinch a playoff spot so early in the 2024 NFL season. It seemed that after that, the team went on cruise control in all the wrong ways, leading to a four-game losing streak to finish the regular season.
According to ESPN NFL reporter Brooke Pryor, the Steelers are one of only three teams to ever go into the playoffs on a four-game losing streak. The last team to do it before the Steelers was the Detroit Lions in 1999.
In case you were wondering, those 1999 Lions team finished the season 8-8 and lose in the wild card round of the playoffs.
With the 19-17 loss, the Steelers are the third team in NFL history to enter the playoffs on a four-game losing streak. The last team to enter the playoffs on such a streak were the 1999 Detroit Lions.
The Steelers now have to sit back and watch the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers play to determine who their first-round playoff opponent will be.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Detroit Lions fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
In this week’s SB Nation Reacts survey, we asked Lions fans just one question: Are you confident the Lions are headed in the right direction? (weekly poll)
In the original survey article, we laid out how the confidence survey had fluctuated throughout the season, mainly only dipping significantly following a loss. If you missed it, here’s a refresher:
Opening Week 1: 99%
Following a win over Week 1 Rams: 97%
Loss to Bucs: 79%
Win over Cardinals: 92%
Win over Seahawks: 99%
Bye week: 96%
Win over Cowboys: 98%
Win over Vikings: 98%
Win over Titans: 96%
Win over Packers: 99%
Win over Texans: 99%
Win over Jaguars: 99%
Win over Colts: 99%
Win over Bears: 91%
Win over Packers: 98%
Loss to Bills: 86%
Win over Bears: 98%
And now, coming off a (revenge?) win over the 49ers and bringing their win total to 14 on the season, Lions fans have spoken and there seems to be a bit of nerves moving through the fan base, as confidence has dipped to 91% — which is still solid overall.
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Fortunately, the national audience remains firmly behind Detroit. SB Nation also ran a national survey asking who would cover the Lions -2.5 spread over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18, set by the folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook, and the national audience continues to side with Detroit, with 60% of national fans believing the Lions win and cover.
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And in case you need a bit more Kool-Aid, 21% of the National fans polled believe the Lions will still win the Super Bowl, the second-highest percentage behind the defending Champions.
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