Cops: Men armed in child exchange
Prosecutors to review police mini-station parking lot shooting case today
The two men involved in a shooting during a child-custody exchange in a Warren police mini station parking lot both were armed, according to Warren police.
Investigators on Sunday weren’t commenting on what led up to one of the men being shot in the face during the exchange, but the victim is expected to make a full recovery.
The 26-year-old man who was struck was the ex-boyfriend of the child’s mother, while the alleged shooter is the mother’s current partner, according to police.
“I think what’s interesting here, is both men came with handguns, although it appears they both are CPL (concealed pistol license) holders,” police Commissioner William Dwyer said Sunday. “This will be listed as a domestic shooting, something we can’t necessarily prevent.”
Dwyer said the two men were both known to carry firearms and the presence of the guns during the incident didn’t necessarily mean the two came to the exchange with bad intentions.
According to police, the shooting took place Saturday afternoon in the parking lot behind the
Warren Police Department Civic Center South Station on Van Dyke Avenue near Republic Avenue, north of Nine Mile Road.
The preliminary investigation shows the two men met in the parking lot to exchange a baby when the ex-boyfriend confronted
the woman’s current boyfriend or husband. Police say one man then shot the other. Investigators were still piecing details together late Saturday.
The victim was transported to Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit, where he was listed in critical but stable condition. The bullet struck his nose and face, investigators said
The alleged shooter, a 23-year-old man, tried to
run from the scene but was soon apprehended by police and arrested. He is being held in the Warren Police Department lockup.
Detectives plan to submit the findings of their investigation to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office today. They are requesting an arrest warrant charging the suspect with attempted murder.
Neither the baby nor the mother were hurt during the incident.
“Thankfully, the child or other innocent residents were not hurt during this incident,” the police commissioner said in a news release, which went on to say “this incident occurred between two groups known to each other.” Detectives have an “ongoing and active investigation” to learn why the gunfire broke out and what sparked it.