Naman Shrestha
In the summer of 2024, a friendly football game was stained with blood by the tragic death of 15-year-old Milli Penn. The entire ordeal rocked the community to its core, while the teenager’s family was engulfed by grief and shock. In order to apprehend the perpetrator/s, the authorities launched an extensive interrogation. In the episode titled ‘Fight Club’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘All Access PD: Grand Rapids,’ the focus is on the tragedy and the frantic search led by the detectives and community.
Milli Penn Was a Fun-Loving Teen Loved by the Community
Amillier Cae’Zhar Penn entered the world of the Penns on October 4, 2008, and filled their hearts with joy. While not much is known about his mother, we know that he was quite close to his father, Corey Penn. A spirited teenager, he was referred to as Milli by his near and dear ones. His world revolved around his family, and he cherished every moment he spent creating wholesome memories with them. The 15-year-old aspired to lead a great life by enrolling himself at an esteemed college and later building a flourishing career so that he could fulfill the dreams he had for his future as well as for his family. It was reported that he had landed a job and was about to begin serving soon.
Milli never hesitated to help those in need and was always the first one to lend a helping hand. It was owing to his compassionate and jolly nature that he made a lot of friends in the area. Among all his interests, his love for gaming and passion for sports like basketball and football shined through. He thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with his friends. The evening of June 2, 2024, seemed like any other as the young boy left the house to play football with his friends in their neighborhood in the southeast part of Grand Rapids, Michigan. While the kids were engaged in a fun match on Umatilla Street near Madison Avenue around 8 pm, a masked man appeared out of nowhere and confronted Milli.
A Regular Game of Football Turned Out to be His Last One
The gunman then reportedly chased Milli down before firing multiple shots at Milli Penn. When the authorities rushed to the location, they found the fatally wounded teenager lying on the patch of grass in the yard of a house. Amillier Cae’Zhar Penn, AKA Milli, was pronounced dead at the scene, with the cause of death being gunshot wounds. An investigation was swiftly launched, with the authorities talking to witnesses and nearby residents for any leads that would direct them to the perpetrator/s. Milli’s untimely demise not only affected his family but also startled the entire community.
To celebrate the life of his “best friend” and honor his spirit, Corey set up a memorial site at the spot where Milli lost his life. As a representation of the light and radiance he brought into people’s lives, the proud father embellished the site with solar-powered lights. Since that fateful night, many have paid their respects by bringing along flowers, pictures, candles, and anything else that would help them remember the warmhearted soul. A GoFundMe campaign was also started to cover the cost of his funeral service. Opening up about his loss and what Milli meant to him, Corey said, “Amillier was everything to me… Amillier was my life.” He concluded, “So I’m kind of at a loss for words because I shouldn’t be here talking about my 15-year-old son in the past tense. He should be here.”
Milli Penn’s Family Also Got Involved in the Investigation to Find the Perpetrator
Despite the best efforts of the authorities, the investigation following the untimely demise of 15-year-old Milli Penn failed to yield any significant leads. Besides the police, his family and the rest of the community also took the responsibility to get to the bottom of the case. A few days into the murder, Milli’s father, Corey Penn, encouraged anyone with information regarding the crime to connect with the police so that justice could be served. “Reach out to an anonymous line and just render any information that you have. Our family is hurting. Milli’s mom is hurting. I’m hurting. Grandparents, cousins, friends — we are all hurting,” he told WoodTV.
About a month after the tragedy, with the police still without any arrest, the community raised money and awareness by gathering at Garage Bar and Grill. Still reeling in pain, Milli’s father, Corey Penn, opened up about his loss, “It still feel like the same day. It feels like when I got that phone call when my son was shot. That is what it feels like and it feels like that every single day. But today I feel a large quantity of love.” In an attempt to escalate the investigation, Silent Observer offered a reward of $8,200 to anyone who came up with information that led the authorities to the perpetrator.
Milli Penn’s Killer is Yet to be Caught and Brought to Justice
Corey further motivated the community to stand up as one in the difficult time, saying, “It’s no honor amongst thieves. I can say that, and it runs parallel with this situation because my son was robbed of his life at 15 years old. So we as a community, as adults, we’ve got to start taking some accountability for the things that we allow. Somebody has got to stand up and set an example.” In the following months, the pursuit of justice continued by the authorities as well as Corey. With the reward money bumped to $10,000 by February 2025, Milli’s father conversed with Fox17 and claimed that he would “keep the momentum, keep positive energy coming forth until we get justice.” A billboard with the message, “Do You Know Who Murdered Me?,” was also put up to raise awareness about the investigation.
In order to honor his late son, Corey made a formal request to the city of Grand Rapids to rename Umatilla Street. “We’re just hoping that from this, it’ll open the eyes of parents and youth. Because, we need to stand up and stand in front of our children, and we also need to just be accountable,” he said. As Milli’s friends also made their best efforts to push Corey’s attempt to change the street name, he thanked them for their unwavering support, helping him and his family stay strong through the traumatic times. Moreover, Corey was looking to set up a memorial bench for Milli inside Camelot Woods Park, where he used to spend a lot of time. As of today, the case is still under investigation, as no suspect has been charged in connection with the 2014 murder of Amillier Penn.
