7 People In Michigan Killed In String Of “Senseless, Random” Shootings

Seven people were killed in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, in a string of shootings Saturday night that officials described as “senseless, random violence.”

Kalamazoo County Undersheriff Paul Matyas told BuzzFeed News the shootings took place over several hours.

The shootings initially left six dead and two injured, including a 14-year-old girl “in very grave condition. Matyas said the girl later died from her injuries.

“In summary what it looks like is we have somebody just driving around, finding people, and shooting them dead in their tracks,” Matyas added during a broadcast on WOOD TV.

The gunman was at large for several hours Saturday until authorities took a “strong suspect” into custody early Sunday morning. Matyas told BuzzFeed News the suspect is a 45-year-old man who lives in Kalamazoo County. Officers pulled him over, and he “voluntarily gave up,” Matyas said.

Police found weapons in the man’s vehicle, though Matyas did not say how many or what kind. He declined to provide more information about the suspect, and said police had not identified a motive for the shootings.

“Right now our initial assessment is that these were just random killings,” Matyas said. “There is no rhyme or reason.”

The shootings happened at three different locations.

The first took place around 6 p.m. at Meadows Townhomes in Kalamazoo when a woman was shot. The woman was taken to the hospital and was in serious condition early Sunday morning, Matyas said.

Another shooting happened at the Seelye Kia dealership in Kalamazoo County, Kalamazoo Public Safety Chief Jeff Hadley told WWMT on air. Two people — both males, possibly a father and a son — were killed at the car dealership.

Four people — who were in two vehicles at the time — were killed in a third shooting that happened around 10:20 p.m. outside a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Texas Township, also in Kalamazoo County.

Little was known Sunday morning about the victims, and there were early conflicting reports about the age of the 14-year-old girl. Matyas told BuzzFeed News investigators were still working on identifications.

Police planned to question the suspect early Sunday. There was an ongoing investigation at the shooting scenes, as officials tried to piece together exactly what happened.

In multiple on-air interviews, officers also described the shootings as among the more horrific events they had experienced during their time in law enforcement.

“This is obviously a tragic event,” Hadley said shortly after the suspect was taken into custody, adding that it appeared to be “senseless, random violence.”

Buzzfeed