CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A teenager was killed by her ex-boyfriend behind the front desk of a hotel in Canton Township, police said.
The shooting happened at 9:22 p.m. Feb. 16, 2024, at a hotel in the 5700 block of North Haggerty Road.
Officials said Joseph Michael Slocum Jr., 23, of Wayne, went to the hotel, pulled out a handgun, and fired it at his 19-year-old ex-girlfriend. The Detroit woman was struck in the head.
Canton Township police were called to the hotel and found the woman lying behind the front desk. Medical officials pronounced her dead at the scene.
Officers received a call at 9:43 p.m. about a crash at southbound I-275 and Ford Road. They said they found Slocum lying in the roadway with multiple injuries.
He was taken into custody and brought to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Slocum was charged Monday, Feb. 26, with first-degree murder and a felony firearm violation.
“I say this often: The most dangerous time for a domestic violence victim is when they are trying to leave the relationship,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. “Horrifyingly, this case is a textbook example. We will vigorously seek justice for her family. And please, if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there are many people and agencies who stand by to help you.”
Slocum was arraigned Friday at 35th District Court and remanded to jail.
A probable cause conference is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. May 3.