TAYLOR, Mich. – A 49-year-old woman was arraigned Wednesday on first-degree murder charges in the fatal shooting of her co-worker at the Burginton Coat Factory store in Taylor.
The family of the victim, Lorraine Faisson, of Allen Park, who was also 49 years old, was in court, and several of them broke down as the charges were read.
Sandra Lynette Waller was charged Tuesday in connection with the fatal shooting inside the Burlington Coat Factory on Eureka Road. She is charged with first-degree murder and felony firearms violations.
It is unclear what exactly happened inside the store just before 7 a.m. Monday. The two women argued, and Waller allegedly fired one shot from a handgun, killing Faisson.
The court entered a not-guilty plea on Waller's behalf.
Waller is being held on $250,000 bond, but the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office plans to appeal the amount.
A probable-cause conference is scheduled for Oct. 30, and a preliminary examination is scheduled for Nov. 6.
What happened
Police said the shooting happened around 7:05 a.m. Tuesday. Faison was rushed to Beaumont Hospital in Taylor, where she was pronounced dead.
An argument between the two 49-year-old women began Sunday and resumed in the morning before the store opened, police said. Shouting and name-calling escalated to the point in which Waller allegedly pulled out a handgun and shot Faison in the chest, authorities said.
"The employees were coming in for work," Taylor police Cmdr. Richard Hopper said. "The store was not open to the public, and the employees were just checking in for work at the time."
Officers arrested Waller and recovered the gun. Police said she was waiting for them when they arrived at the scene.