Northville Township man found shot to death in Oak Park

Police say 19-year-old victim knew his shooter; friend ran to nearby residents for help

OAK PARK, Mich. – A 19-year-old Northville Township man's body was found near an old high school early Wednesday morning at Stratford Court and Stratford Street in Oak Park.

His car was found nearby. Police say his friend got away, and so did the gunman who shot him.

A man, who asked to keep his identity concealed, heard the screams and the shots. He raced to help the young man who was begging for help outside the man's front door.

"I heard footsteps and yelling, screaming, and running up the walkway and when he got over here he was beating on the neighbor's door and me and my wife were sitting here, we saw him come out, we came outside and he said, 'Please, please help me. Please, somebody just shot my friend,'" the man said. "We called 911 for him and while he was in there he was trying to tell us what happened and he was still crying and he just kept saying he wants his friend back, he wants his friend back."

Police tracked down the suspect 12 hours later. He is in custody now. Investigators say the victim's friend offered key information that helped them make the arrest. It's not clear what the exact relationship between the accused gunman and victim was.

"Our victim was an acquaintance of the suspect, to what extent we're not actually sure, but this was not a random act of violence," said Oak Park Public Safety Director Steve Cooper.

The accused gunman likely will face murder charges when he appears in court Thursday or Friday.


About the Author:

Hank Winchester is Local 4’s Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV’s “Help Me Hank” Consumer Unit. Hank works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off people in our community.