Killer Made Frantic Courthouse Visit Hours Before Deadly Shooting
Just hours before fatally shooting another man, Malique Calloo visited a Windsor courthouse to file urgent paperwork seeking joint custody of his daughter, a murder trial heard on Thursday. The visit was a desperate attempt to prevent his former girlfriend and Daniel Squalls from moving to the United States with his child.
Desperate Bid to Stop Move to Detroit
Calloo's courthouse visit on November 28, 2022, was described as a frantic effort to foil plans by his ex-girlfriend and Squalls to relocate to Detroit. The grandmother of Calloo's daughter testified during the second day of the murder trial before Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia that she had warned Calloo to go home after he visited the courthouse.
"I said 'Malique, go home. Go home. We'll get the shoes to her later. Go home,'" the grandmother told jurors, explaining she was on the phone with Calloo at the time. "I didn't want him to get in any trouble."
Fatal Confrontation Unfolds
After leaving the courthouse, Calloo purchased a pair of shoes for his daughter and drove to the couple's Windsor residence to look for her. When no one answered his knocks at the door, the situation escalated dramatically. Less than two hours later, at 4:26 p.m., Calloo fired fifteen bullets at Squalls, killing him in front of his residence.
Calloo, who was 26 at the time of the shooting, is currently on trial for second-degree murder in the death of 24-year-old Daniel Squalls. Both men shared daughters with the same woman, creating a complex family dynamic that preceded the violent confrontation.
Defense Argues for Lesser Charge
In opening statements delivered on Wednesday, defense lawyer Adam Weisberg conceded that Calloo shot and killed Squalls but argued his client should be found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. The defense maintains that Calloo acted "in the heat of passion" during the emotional custody dispute.
The grandmother testified that she had disapproved of her granddaughter's four-year relationship with Squalls, describing him as "very disrespectful." In contrast, she called Calloo "very respectful" and noted she had remained close with him since his separation from her granddaughter in 2017.
Background of Family Conflict
The grandmother served as a "go-between" for Calloo and her granddaughter since the two "weren't on good terms." She testified that she had called the Children's Aid Society on multiple occasions regarding Squalls, expressing concerns about potential abuse of her great-granddaughter and recurring school absences.
While she admitted she never witnessed any abuse firsthand, the grandmother described a physical confrontation with Squalls when he prevented her from conducting a wellness check on her great-granddaughter in his apartment. Two days before the shooting, she learned of plans for her granddaughter to move with Squalls to Detroit with their two children, with eventual plans to relocate to Texas.
The trial continues as jurors weigh the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting and the complex family relationships that preceded the violence.
