When the teacher made the kindergarten class line up by height, Michael “Mike Mike” Mines was always at the front.
Small but speedy, Michael became everybody’s favorite class clown, mocking his friends for their jacked-up haircuts and burping loudly in class. One time, while waiting for his punishment in the principal’s office at W.C. Longstreth Elementary School, he escaped and hid under a school bus seat so that he could join his friends on their class trip to UniverSoul Circus.
“They named us Parents of the Year,” Michael’s mother, Selenia, recalled. “Every time he got in trouble, we came running.”
Aware that their son was bouncing off the walls, Selenia and Michael’s father, Michael Butts, decided to enroll him in boxing lessons at Kingsessing Recreation Center. Michael excelled in the sport, landing powerful punches and burning off steam.
Despite bad asthma and allergies, he also ran track and played football.
He also enjoyed quieter pursuits like chess, a game he learned from his grandfather, Arnold. After school, he was often found playing — and strategizing— against much older men in the McDonald’s at 52nd and Chestnut Streets.
His charismatic personality attracted admirers. In the eighth grade, Michael won the award for “Mr. Congeniality,” his mother said.
“He was like a people magnet. He didn’t judge anyone,” she said. “It’s beyond just having a heart. He had an uncanny way for caring for people.”
On April 7, 2021 at 6:14 p.m., police discovered a white Jeep Cherokee ablaze in the 600 block of South 55th Street. The Jeep was Michael’s prized possession. Inside, he was found fatally shot in the driver’s seat. Police have made no arrests.
Michael’s younger sister, Amya, remembers that her brother always made his friends move to the back seat so that she could ride in the front with him.
Michael Mines with his family
Although he was light on his feet in the boxing ring, Michael drove with a lead foot, Amya recalled. Friends nicknamed him “NASCAR Mike.”
Born on June 5, 1999 in Olney, Michael was an independent thinker and sometimes clashed with his older brothers, Arris and Shaquin, when they tried to boss him around. Michael and Amya liked to prank the boys, squirting mustard on one after he fell asleep or persuading the other to let Amya practice her makeover skills on him while Michael secretly videotaped it.
In high school, Mike was a computer whiz and occasional hacker, his sister remembered. At home, he mastered video games like Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty.
Accompanying his family, Michael regularly attended the Greater Philadelphia Church of Christ in North Philadelphia and participated in church youth camps. At age 16, he chose to be baptized.
“He learned that the Bible is not just a book, but a book of instruction,” Selenia remembered, adding that Michael introduced his friends to the church. The experience made him more grounded and humble.
When a neighbor was shot in front of their house, Michael was the first one to rush to his side and call 911, Selenia said. After that, she enrolled her son in therapy because he continued to have nightmares about people coming after him.
Following Michael’s graduation from Simon Gratz Mastery Charter School, the family took a memorable trip to Jamaica (the kids initially thought they were going on vacation to New Jersey.)
Michael savored the new cuisine, his mom remembered. Although he was lean, he was a voracious eater, stuffing his face with Wing Dings if given the opportunity.
Michael Mines
He also dressed to be noticed, often competing with his father. Michael wore G-Star RAW t-shirts with distressed jeans, an Off-White luxury keychain dangling from his belt loop.
Sometimes, Michael’s spontaneity could border on irresponsible. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, he threw an “epic” party at his North Philadelphia apartment, advertising free food and liquor on Facebook — much to his mother’s dismay.
But he also dreamed of settling down with girlfriend, Tyanah Smith, and attending college to study sports medicine. In the meantime, he worked two jobs — as a package handler for FedEx and as an all-around assistant at Country Cookin’ in North Philadelphia. Michael befriended the restaurant’s owner, local philanthropist, Saudia Shuler, who became a second mom to him, Selenia said. When Michael was fired for skipping work, he would sneak back in and all would be forgiven — or forgotten.
Michael eventually moved out of his family home, but he still popped by every day to mess with his loved ones, playfully mocking and nitpicking them.
“He was always trying to find an excuse to be near us,” Amya said.
Michael is buried in Mount Peace Cemetery.
A reward of up to $20,000 if available to anyone that comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Michael Mines’ murder. Anonymous calls can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS. Information can also be submitted to the Philadelphia Police Department online or by calling 215-686-TIPS.
Resources are available for people and communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Click here for more information.
Leave a Reply