DETROIT – A 40-year-old father of four was shot and killed during a home invasion last week.
Douglas Thornton and his family were sleeping when intruders broke into their home near Greenfield Road and Grand River Avenue on Detroit's west side.
When Thornton confronted the intruders, he was shot and killed. The family is calling on the community to help find the killer.
"He was the epitome of what we want black men to be," Teferi Brent, Thornton's cousin, said. "He was a father of four beautiful daughters, and he was an entrepreneur."
Thornton's girlfriend and daughters heard the gunfire from upstairs. Brent insists Thornton refused to allow the intruders to get to his family.
"He stood up and defended his family like a real man," Brent said.
A funeral for Thornton was held this week, and knowing that the killers are still out there is hard for the family to accept.