Statement from the Family of Isaiah Christopher Kirby and Attorney Teresa A. Caine Bingman

Graphic Content Warning: The photographs contained in this release are graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers. Isaiah Christopher Kirby’s family has chosen to share these images after careful consideration to help the public understand the extent of his injuries and why they continue to demand truth, transparency, accountability, and justice. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.

Isaiah Kirby’s family has made the difficult decision to release a few photographs of Isaiah’s body.

This decision was not made lightly.

Isaiah Kirby was a 21-year-old Michigan State University senior majoring in Zoology. He was weeks away from graduation and preparing for a job interview at the Austin, Texas Zoo.

When Karyn Kirby, Isaiah’s mother, was finally allowed to see her son’s body, she observed what no parent should ever have to witness. She counted what appeared to be at least 17 gunshot wounds, including multiple wounds to Isaiah’s back. Because of the condition of her son’s body, Ms. Kirby decided to make the heartbreaking decision to cremate her 21-year-old son. 

In making this decision, Karyn Kirby drew strength from the example of Mamie Till-Mobley, who in 1955 insisted that the world see what had been done to her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, after he was abducted, tortured, and murdered in Mississippi. Ms. Kirby believes that when a mother sees the devastating condition of her child’s body, there are times when the truth must be seen in order to be fully understood.

Also, after viewing the highly edited video presentation on May 7^th that was prepared and presented to the family by the East Lansing Police Department and after hearing the insensitive remarks of East Lansing City Councilmember Mark Meadows, who created his own narrative about Isaiah during a City Council meeting last night (May 12^th), the family concluded that the public should also see the devastating physical consequences of the deadly force used against Isaiah.

These images are being shared in the pursuit of truth, transparency, accountability, and justice. In this continued pursuit, the family asks anyone with information, video, or audio related to the events of April 15, 2026 to come forward by calling the Justice for Isaiah Tip Line: 

1-844-9ISAIAH (1-844-947-2424).

Graphic Content Warning: The photographs below are graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers. Isaiah Christopher Kirby’s family has chosen to share these images after careful consideration to help the public understand the extent of his injuries and why they continue to demand truth, transparency, accountability, and justice. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.