Young Detroit father dies in shooting at gas station on Detroit's west side

A 19-year-old father of two was killed early Friday morning when he was ambushed by masked men at a gas station on Detroit’s west side.

LaRonda Brown says her boyfriend, Nicholas Whaley, had a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old and leaves behind a twin sister.

“I really don’t know who would want to do this. He is the nicest person,” Brown said.

At about 3 a.m., Whaley was with friends when he drove himself to the Mobil gas station at 7 Mile and Greenfield roads. He was sitting inside his car at the station when two men ran up and opened fire.

A mother and her two young children who were filling up at a nearby pump witnessed the shooting. They weren’t hurt.

Sources close to the investigation told Local 4 Whaley had been at a club before the shooting and whatever happened inside the club may be linked to the shooting.

The station’s clerk said he carded Whaley when he bought a cigar just minutes before gunfire erupted.

“They had shirts on their faces and one of them just pulled out a gun and starting shooting. He actually got away. I thought he got away clean,” said clerk Ahmed Al Manfi.

Whaley did try to drive himself away, but crashed a short ways down the street and died.

The shooting does appear to have been caught on the station’s security cameras. Police said they will review what they can of it.