OXFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – An Oxford Township father was gunned down after being mistaken for a threat.
Dennis Kendrick, 56, was killed in the Abbey Ridge Apartments parking lot on East Market Street. Police say the shooter is in custody.
UPDATE: Oxford Township man charged for killing father he thought sent him threatening text, police say
Friends of Kendrick say he was a devoted single father raising his 15-year-old son. Investigators say what happened to him in his own car, outside of his apartment Wednesday (April 20) morning as he was preparing to leave for work is both bizarre and senseless.
“It clearly looks like murder on everything I’ve ever seen in all my years of policing,” said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
Bouchard says it appears as though Kendrick was in the wrong place at the wrong time as it was 3:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, when Kendrick was in his SUV, about to head out for work, when a man with a gun approached him.
“He received what he perceived was a threatening message and tried to figure out who it may of came from,” Bouchard said. “He began walking around the complex and found this person in their car.”
Investigators say it’s unclear why the gunman believed Kendrick sent the text. Officials are still sorting out what may have happened next, but police say there may have been a struggle.
During the struggle, the 36-year-old allegedly pulled out a gun that he was licensed to carry and shot Kendrick several times. Afterward, the suspect called 911.
“He called and said that he had shot someone that he thought had threatened him,” Bouchard said.
Kendrick died at the scene.
The Abbey Ridge Apartments is a short walk away from Oxford High School, where Kendrick’s son is a student-athlete.
“They’re still reeling from the terrible thing that happened at Oxford High School, so anything that reminds them of any kind of violence is still painful.”
Local 4 News spoke to Kendrick’s three sisters Wednesday night. They tell us that Kendrick had 10 nieces and nephews, which he adored.
He served in the Army, worked as a machinist, and loved being a dad to his 15-year-old son, Kamari Kendrick. He was raising him on his own.
“He went to work at 4 a.m. every single day because he wanted to be home to watch his son’s games,” said Lori Hamilton.
It’s yet another trauma for Kamari Kendrick, who survived the Oxford High School shooting months earlier.
“His son was there in the hallway,” said Hamilton. “To turn around a couple of months later to deal with this, I can’t even deal with it.”
The Oxford community is rallying once again as they have set up a GoFundMe account for Kamari Kendrick. So far, it has raised over $17,000.