FLINT – Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said a jury found a Mount Morris Township teen guilty of murder in the fatal shooting of another teen in 2023 at a Moun Morris Township hotel.
Martaveon Lamar Lewis, age 19, who was 17 years old at the time of the incident, was found guilty of a total of 13 felonies including second degree murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, unlawful imprisonment and multiple other firearm related charges.
According to the police investigation and testimony at trial, on May 21, 2023, at approximately 3:22 a.m., Mount Morris Township Police responded to the former Baymont Inn, on Pier North Boulevard just off Pierson Road, near I-75 in response to reports of shots fired.
When police arrived, they were told by people in the hotel lobby that two individuals had been shot on the third floor.
Upon reaching the third floor, police observed one female victim unconscious on the floor with a gunshot wound to her forehead. At the end of the hallway near a stairwell, they found a male victim who had been shot multiple times in the chest and once behind his ear and who exhibited no signs of life.
The then 33-year-old female victim survived, but the 18-year-old male victim, Tamarion Ladon Pugh, died at the scene.
Leading up to the shooting, there had been an ongoing beef between Lewis and Pugh.
The evening of the shooting, both Lewis and Pugh had been partying at the Baymont Inn with separate groups. When Lewis learned Pugh was in the hotel, he went to the room where Pugh was and demanded to be let in or he would shoot his way in.
Lewis was eventually allowed in the room and confronted Pugh with a .40 caliber Glock that had been fashioned into an automatic weapon. In fear of his life, Pugh suggested they go in the hallway and fight instead. Lewis agreed but he never put his gun away and he was live streaming the entire incident on social media.
In the hallway, testimony indicated that Lewis struck Pugh first, and Pugh then pulled a handgun and shot Lewis twice. Lewis in turn shot his automatic weapon at Pugh firing 22 shots in two seconds killing Pugh, and striking a female bystander.
While Lewis testified on his own behalf and claimed self-defense, the prosecution successfully argued that Lewis could not avail himself to that defense because he was the initial aggressor.
“Far too many young people in our community have guns and far too often, these guns are used as a first resort to settle grievances no matter what the grievances are about,” said Prosecutor David Leyton. “Many times, a beef between two individuals or even two groups or gangs of young people is nothing more than feelings of being disrespected, and that’s basically what happened here,” he continued.
Prosecutor Leyton commended the hard work of his team of assistant prosecutors, paralegals, victim advocates and other support staff for bringing this case to trial and successfully achieving justice in the courtroom.
He particularly credited Assistant Prosecutor Steven Ellis for leading the charge along with Second Chair Assistant Prosecutor Sam Fleet.
Prosecutor Leyton also credited the Mount Morris Township Police, Michigan State Police, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies for their response and investigation.
Lewis will be sentenced on August 4.
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