January 22, 2007
BY BEN SCHMITT
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Prosecutors charged three teens today with murder in connection with the shooting death of a Navy veteran, who had just cashed his tax refund check.
Police said the teens ambushed Terron Bush, 24, and his two cousins Thursday after he left the check cashing store on Harper. Bush had just cashed a $5,800 check, police said.
Charged with first-degree murder are: Steven Johnson, 15, and Duane and William Johnson, both 17. All the suspects are Detroiters.
"This was an incredibly violent death that was ruthless and cold-hearted," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. "Mr. Bush honorably served his country in the Navy and was continuing to be a good citizen by filing his taxes."
Bush’s cousin, Gerald Bush, was also shot and wounded during the ambush. He said today that a bullet is still lodged in his back, near his spine.
After the fervor over Nathaniel Abraham's release and the incorrect information that he was going to attend college courtesy of Michigan taxpayers, it just hurts me to read this news about some more teens killing an adult recently. However, the predatory nature of crimes like this seem to be a major growing and prevailing trend in Detroit. Being a resident of this city for more than 45 years, crimes like those do make me worry even more about the safety of my family. At times, I almost want to cut my losses and run out of Detroit. One of my neighbors did it last week, and we only knew because we saw the stuff being moved out. After the tribulations of trying to live here, she had enough. Recently I had a scare also. Coming home one night from work recently, I saw a young man coming down the street toward me. Neither of my neighbors on both sides of me were home, and I thanked God for protecting me.
As I was making my way toward my front steps, I saw that he quickened his pace, and he called out if I knew where a certain street was. I estimated that he was at least 16 to 20 years of age. I had no ideal where the street was, and figured it was a ruse to get me to slow down. I immediately told him that I did not know and that I did not have any money, which was true. Had he robbed me, he would not gotten any money because I had accidentally left my purse at home, which was cashless anyway. My car probably would have been the only thing of value at that moment and the theft of it, could render me jobless. There was a bit of gas in it, being that a co-worker had loaned me the money to put some gas in my car to get home. The young man angrily responded back that he did not want any money and turned to go in the other direction. With my heart beating a hundred miles a minute, I hurried up and went into my house, and was so glad that my children were at the door.
The young man may have been truly looking for that street, and had no intention of causing me any harm. But after the events of what has been occurring in my neighborhood, (car thefts, robberies & home invasions) and the recent shootings in the city of Detroit that also included an acquaintance's relative, I could not help but be somewhat paranoid. Although my porch light was on, I still could not make out the guy's facial features at all. It did not help that neither one of my neighbors did not have their porch lights on. One of my close friends had been encouraging me to buy a motion activated solar flood light to put on the dimly lit side of the front of my house, and after that experience, I am going to follow her advice. But other friends and family are also encouraging me to get out of here, which is something I can not do, mainly because of my financial situation unless I am willing to chuck (let go of everything) it all and start over. I can only pray and hope that God will guide me, and help me navigate through this phase of my life right now.