Police task force begins hunt for sniper suspect who committed 22 car shootings in two weeks
Police task force begins hunt for sniper suspect who committed 22 car shootings in two weeks
• Police chase a male sniper suspect in front of nearly two dozen cars
shootings in Michigan that began October 16
• More than 100 local officers, sheriff’s deputies, state troopers and
federal agents are involved in the investigation
• Detectives and the state police attract local drivers and
ask them for details
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Police are hunting a sniper in Michigan involved in 22 car shootings in two weeks, leaving one injured so far.
A task force of detectives has begun questioning motorists in four Michigan counties in hopes of catching a man suspected of shooting other motorists head-on. Police detectives look for something anomalous during their traffic checks in Oakland, Livingston, Ingham and Shiawassee counties.
More than 100 local officers, sheriff’s deputies, state troopers and federal agents are now involved in the investigation, which began with reported shootings in Wixom, about 25 miles northwest of Detroit on Oct. 16.
Artist’s impression: Police arrested the 43-year-old man on suspicion of the sniper, pictured, who shot at random cars in four Michigan counties over two weeks
More than 100 officers, deputies, state troopers and agents are on the hunt for the gunman
A local man was shot in the back of the head on Saturday as he headed east along Interstate 96 in Livingston County, shutting down a nearby school, it said. United Press International.
That victim is the only person injured so far, but it is believed the suspect is shooting at people and not just their vehicles, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said Tuesday.
“It’s been more the grace of God than the man deliberately missing people,” Bouchard said. “We’ve had people who have missed inches. A bullet was lodged in the driver’s seat.”
“It is believed the suspect is firing at vehicles approaching from the opposite direction,” Michigan State Police Lieutenant Michael Shaw said.
“Some motorists hadn’t realized their vehicles had been hit until they had driven a quarter mile or more,” he said.
The investigative task force has received more than 800 tips to date and has increased the reward money for information leading to an arrest from $12,000 to $102,000.
Witnesses described the suspect’s vehicle as resembling a dark one
Oldsmobile 1998 Alero or a 1998 Toyota Camry. Those initial descriptions may not be accurate, Shaw said.
The I-96 Highway where the shootings took place
On Monday, police detained the driver of a dark-colored Chevy Cavalier after a woman reported at 9:05 a.m. that something had hit her car on US 23 near Brighton, Michigan.
No arrests have been made.
Local officials say it is a must that they catch the suspect, not only to protect lives, but also to stop the spread of fear among civilians in the area.
“For Halloween, we’re going to have special patrols in each of our subdivisions so kids can have a normal Halloween,” said Clarence Goodlein, Wixom’s director of public safety.
“It is not our intention to let a thug and gangster bully us and change the course of our lives.”
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