Velda City Mourns: Prince Gunned Down Outside a Home in Broad Daylight
Prince didn’t make it inside. Whatever he was running from—or toward—ended on the pavement outside that house in Velda City. It was 3:15 p.m. when the gunfire shattered the quiet of the neighborhood, a moment that would change everything.
By the time police arrived, Prince was already gone.
What unfolded in those moments leading up to his death is still only partially clear. According to police, a fight broke out between Prince and a man he knew—31-year-old Terrell T. Mays. What was said, what started it, or whether there was any chance to stop it before bullets flew, remains a mystery. Police haven’t yet revealed what sparked the confrontation. But they have confirmed that Prince never even made it into the house. He collapsed just outside.
First on the scene were Velda City officers. Then, the Major Case Squad rolled in, signaling the seriousness of the situation and the urgency to bring clarity—and justice. Detectives canvassed the area, talked to witnesses, combed for video, and pieced together a story still riddled with painful gaps. But by Friday, they had enough to move forward.
Terrell T. Mays was arrested and charged with murder and other crimes. He and Prince knew each other, authorities said. This wasn’t a random act. It was personal.
But what exactly was behind it? Rage? History? A moment gone too far? Those questions hang in the air, unanswered, as the community tries to process yet another life lost to gun violence.
Prince’s death has shaken the neighborhood. It’s not the first time tragedy has visited this corner of Velda City, but every time it does, it hits like the first. People are heartbroken. Tired. Scared. Angry. The cycle of violence keeps spinning, and each time it takes someone else—a son, a friend, a neighbor.
“He had a good heart,” one woman said, standing near the yellow tape that still fluttered in the breeze outside the home. “He didn’t deserve to die like that. Nobody does.”
The block has grown quieter since the shooting. Fewer kids playing outside. More people looking over their shoulders. When something like this happens, it doesn’t just take a life—it takes a piece of the community with it. The trust. The sense of safety. The belief that conflict won’t end in death.
Now, a family is grieving. They’re left with memories, questions, and a silence that’s louder than anything. Condolences have poured in from friends and loved ones, many expressing their sorrow and disbelief on social media. “RIP, Prince,” one post read. “You didn’t deserve this. Fly high, bro.”
The investigation is still ongoing. More details may come in time—answers to questions that might never bring peace but could bring clarity. For now, though, the focus is on mourning, on remembering Prince, and on trying to hold a hurting community together.
Gun violence isn’t just about statistics. It’s about moments like this. A man lying outside a house he never made it into. A family shattered. A neighborhood left wondering how it all spiraled so fast.
One more name added to a growing list. One more life that should have been more than a headline.