Gunman in fatal Michigan hotel shooting surrenders after police negotiations
The situation at the Dearborn Hampton Inn Hotel was apparently sparked over a money dispute
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A gunman involved in a fatal shooting at a Michigan hotel has surrendered after hours of police negotiations, according to officials.
The violent incident at the Hampton Inn in Dearborn was sparked by a dispute with staff over money, according to Michigan State Police, and came to an end on Thursday evening.
The suspect had been barricaded inside the hotel for more than five hours but the situation was “contained” and authorities were negotiating with him.
Police arrived at the scene on Military and Michigan avenues at around 1pm. Shots were fired from the third floor of the hotel until shortly after 2pm, killing at least one person and wounding several others, Fox News reported.
“I know that our curiosity gets to us, and we want to see what’s happening, but this is a very fluid situation,” Lieutenant Michael Shaw of the MSP said.
Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin said that the department believed the violence started when a dispute with hotel staff broke out over money. Sources also told local news station WXYZ that the shooting might have unfolded after an eviction attempt.
The hotel later issued a statement to say that the incident was not related to a dispute over billing.
An employee at the Dearborn Federal Savings Bank located across the street from the hotel told The Independent that they were placed on lockdown until further notice. A nearby elementary school was also been placed on a “soft lockdown” as the situation progressed.
“There are cop cars and police tape all around the street,” another employee at a cocktail bar in the area said.
Guests and employees at the hotel were evacuated. Troopers, officers and SWAT teams were working on clearing the scene around the hotel and have asked the public to stay away from the area.
Michigan Avenue was completely closed. Authorities said the area was not safe and warned that shots could be fired again, before the suspect later surrendered.
This article was amended on 21 October 2022 to include the hotel’s position.