Charges Filed In 2-Year-Old's Shooting Death On I-75 Thursday

DETROIT — Two Detroit men have been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a toddler on I-75 on Thursday.

Darius Evonte Lanier, 19, and Eugene Meredith Hubbard, 21, are each charged with first-degree murder, discharge from a vehicle causing death, discharge from a vehicle causing injury, two counts of discharge from a vehicle, three counts of assault with intent to murder and eight counts of felony firearm.

The two men were arraigned Tuesday afternoon in 36th District Court.

"The Christian family were completely innocent victims," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. "This was a family returning from a child sports activity that were mistaken for others because of their truck.

"Two-year-old Brison is dead and his nine-year-old brother barely escaped serious injury,” Worthy continued. "A child is dead because adults decided that they were judge, jury, and executioner. They will get a fair trial, but Brison doesn’t get to have a life.”

Related: 4 Shot, Child Killed In Highway Shootings Across Metro Detroit

Brison and his 9-year-old brother, BJ, were shot around 9:39 p.m. Thursday after they and their mother were being driven from BJ's basketball practice by their father, Brian Christian.

The vehicle the four were in was traveling on I-75, near McNichols, when Brian Christian said he heard multiple gunshots and the vehicle began to malfunction, prosecutors said.

When Christian pulled the vehicle over, he and his wife realized that his sons were shot, prosecutors said.

Related: 'Multiple Arrests' Made In 2-Year-Old's Shooting Death On I-75

Michigan State Police arrived at the scene and found the Brison had been shot in the head and BJ was shot in the left arm, according to prosecutors. Both children were taken to a local hospital, where Brison died, prosecutors said. BJ was treated and released.

An investigation by the Michigan State Police Special Investigation Section and Second District Fugitive Team led to the arrest of Lanier and Hubbard on Saturday.

Prosecutors said the two men shot at the vehicle after mistakenly identifying the Christian's black truck due to its color and make.

Related: Family Of Slain 2-Year-Old, Police To Release Balloons Monday