Editor’s note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan Second Wave’s On the Ground Battle Creek series.
BATTLE CREEK, MI — Cafe Ricá, during the four years that it’s been open in downtown Battle Creek, has become a beloved place for people to meet friends and associates, and to enjoy coffee, refreshments, and food. On Thursday afternoon, February 15, a Battle Creek Police officer was wounded and a man from Texas was shot dead inside the establishment.
There was a sense of shock throughout Battle Creek as nothing like this had happened in the city for a while. The homicide was one of the first in 2024.
On a bitterly cold Sunday afternoon, three days later, 75 people gathered behind the coffee shop to seek healing and community. The vigil, organized by the Battle Creek Coalition for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation, included remarks by Boonikka Herring of the Coalition, George Bredehoft of Cafe Ricá, and Battle Creek Mayor Mark Behnke.
Prayers were offered by the mayor and the Rev. John Boyd of Love in Action Ministries. Elishae Johnson, Ph.D., of Bronson Healthcare, also spoke and offered to assist anyone needing mental health services.
Cafe Ricá, which had closed following the incident, reopened on February 20. The following vigil photos were taken by On the Ground Battle Creek Photographer John Grap.
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