Road rage may have led to Grand Rapids murder | News

GRAND RAPIDS, (WZZM) -- People who knew Lance Byers say he would rather make friends than fight.

"He got along with everyone," says friend Kalvin Cifuents. "Not a violent guy."

That's why they are so surprised Byers was shot and killed Tuesday morning after what was apparently a minor fender bender.

"There was some sort of altercation in the roadway between our victim and another male," says Capt. Pete McWatters of the Grand Rapids Police Department.

The silver jeep Byers was driving may have bumped a black SUV near the intersection of Layfayette and State in Southeast Grand Rapids just after 8:00 A.M. 

"There is very minor damage on the front end of the vehicle the victim was driving," said Capt. McWatters.

Byers may have been on the way to his job at the Department of Human Services.

Police say the man and woman in the SUV and Byers all stepped out of their vehicles.

"The guy in the SUV started getting heated up and started getting into the guys face," says a witness watching from a nearby vehicle.

When Byers turned to walk back to his jeep,  the witness says either the man or woman pulled a gun and shot him. 

"The guy in the silver jeep basically just pushed him away and turned around. That's when we heard the gunshot."

"There was one shot fired," confirms Capt. McWatters. "We are not sure who fired the shot. There was a female and a male."

Byers was mortally wounded, but struggled to stay upright.

"He tried to stagger back to his silver jeep and he almost made it," recalls the witness. "Then he fell over into the street."

Byers was an eligibility specialist for the MI Department Of Human Services.

He had a 2 year old daughter named Emma.

"He went to see Emma everyday," says Cifuents.

Police say they don't have a very good description of the murder suspects.

A black male and black female in a large black SUV, possibly a Lincoln Navigator with tinted windows.

"Lance was a good guy," says Cifuents. "He was a great friend. I'm really going to miss him."