Dearborn chief of police provides insight on Hampton Inn shooting, barricade

Williams-Lewis was roaming hallway with rifle

DEARBORN, Mich. – Dearborn Chief of police Issa Shahin spoke to Local 4 on Monday to provide insight on the Hampton Inn shooting and barricade situation.

One of the employees shot in this situation was going to check on the 37-year-old that was playing loud music on the third floor.

Chief Shahin says, “he was going to check on other people to see if they were okay and was gunned down without any warning, it was terrible.”

Prosecutors have charged Reichard Williams-Lewis with murder and assault.

Chief Shahin gave new insight on Monday, saying Williams-Lewis was roaming the hallway armed with a modified rifle.

“It shoots 223 rounds, those are rifle rounds, they can go through vests and through walls. He had modified it by putting a big drum on it that could hold 100 rounds,” said Shahin.

The chief had just left police headquarters when the call came in. He and his team were the first through the door at the hotel.

“We were lucky we didn’t turn the corner and happen to engage him, God was looking out for us that day, we got to the top of the stairs and we were able to enter the third floor and we saw the suspect down at the end of the hall by his room. Once he saw us, he entered his room and it became a barricaded situation,” explained Chief Shahin.

After nearly eight hours of negotiations, Williams-Lewis surrendered without any more loss of life.

Read more:

Detroit man charged in fatal shooting at Dearborn hotel; 3 others injured

Detroit man charged in Dearborn hotel shooting, barricade

Gunman in custody after fatally shooting clerk at Dearborn hotel, barricading himself in room


About the Authors

Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade.

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