7 killed in random shootings in Michigan, suspect held
michigan — Seven people were shot and killed and several others wounded in Michigan on Saturday night in a series of apparently random public shootings, according to authorities and local media.
The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety said on its Facebook page that six people had been shot and killed and several others seriously wounded in three shootings in Kalamazoo County, in southwest Michigan.
Local media said early on Sunday a teen-aged girl who was shot had died, becoming the seventh fatality. “We seem to be dealing with a worst-case scenario, someone driving around shooting,” Kalamazoo County Undersheriff Paul Matyas told NBC News after the shootings. At least three people were wounded in the attacks.
The Kalamazoo Public Safety Department said a suspect fitting the description of the gunman had been apprehended without incident, citing chief Jeff Hadley. The suspect was not identified, but media reports, citing police, said he was aged 45, from Kalamazoo.
The public safety department earlier described the gunman as a white male in his 50s who was believed to be driving a dark coloured Chevy HHR SUV with chrome wheels, adding that the vehicle may have been damaged. Police said the man who was arrested was driving a black HHR and had a weapon in the vehicle.
According to local media, four people were shot dead at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Texas Township, and two more died at a Seelye Kia dealership in Kalamazoo. The teen-aged victim who later died was also shot at the restaurant.
The carnage began early on Saturday evening when Matyas said police were first called to a Kalamazoo County apartment building where a woman was shot multiple times before later being listed in serious condition.
Hours later, they were called to the car dealership where two people were shot and killed, and a third was wounded.
Four people were killed at a third shooting scene in the Cracker Barrel parking lot, where the gunman opened fire on people in their cars after a brief conversation. A fifth person died later.
The victims and shooting scenes appeared to have no link apart from the suspect. No motive for the seemingly random attacks had been determined. Authorities could not be reached to verify the reports independently, but confirmed the deaths in media interviews and on social media. —