LIVONIA, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Detroit woman is facing life behind bars after police say she shot and killed a woman outside of a Livonia liquor store earlier this week.
Police say they were called to Nicholas' Party Shop on Merriman Road near I-96 around 1 a.m. Tuesday for reports of a shooting. Investigators say two women got into an argument inside of the store that spilled into the parking lot and continued to escalate.
Police say one of the women, 24-year-old Lania Conn of Detroit, produced a gun and fatally wounded a 27-year-old woman outside of the store. Investigators say an acquaintance of the victim returned fire at Conn and a 24-year-old man she was with. They say Conn and the 24-year-old man, who has not been identified, were injured in the shooting.
Friday, Conn was arraigned on charges of second-degree murder and felony firearm. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy also issued a charge against 25-year-old Cory Campbell, who allegedly returned fire during the incident, for improper concealed weapon licensing.
The victim was identified as 27-year-old Markayla Sadler. Her family says to their knowledge, the verbal argument started after Sadler and Conn bumped shoulders in the store.
"Markayla, she was a person. She has a mother, she has a father, she has siblings, she has a son," LaKeisha Matthews said of her daughter. "She was just fun. Everybody loved her."
Matthews says her daughter leaves behind a 3-year-old son. She says her daughter had just picked up her son from her grandmother's house and was on the way home when she stopped at the store.
"Her son is 3 years old — he’ll be 4. Now, he doesn’t have a mother all over an argument in a store," Matthews said. "You can’t even go to the store, you can’t even get into an altercation. People have arguments everyday. We have arguments at work, arguments at home. You shouldn’t have to die behind that."
Matthews says she and family members hosted a vigil Thursday night to celebrate the life of Sadler. She says hundreds of people showed up to a park in Redford to release purple balloons in her daughter's honor.
Matthews says she feels a sense of relief now that charges have been rendered, but the loss she and her family have sustained is irreparable.
"I just want for the person who did this to go to jail and stay in jail. I feel like their life should be over also," Matthews said.
Sadler's family is working to start a college fund for her son. While family members work to set up the account, they say all donations can be sent to Matthews' Cash App account, which can be found under the cashtag $LaKeishaSadler inside the app.
Conn is currently being held without bond. She's due back in court on Aug. 3 for a probable cause hearing.
