NORTHFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Police are investigating a shooting and abduction at a home on Wednesday night in Northfield Township.
Police responded to the home around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in the area of Nollar Bend Road east of US-23.
They discovered a 74-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman shot and killed, and a 53-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound but still alive.
On Thursday, police identified the two who were killed as Jennifer Bernhard and Stevie Smith. Jeffrey Bernhard was the person who was injured, and he has been upgraded to stable condition.
"We’ll miss them very much," said Tim Smith, brother of Jennifer Bernhard.
Smith says it was his sister and father who were killed.
He added that his father was a pastor and his sister and her husband have one little girl of their own and was fostering another little girl who they hoped to adopt.
“I’ll miss him tremendously, he was a great dad," said Smith. "He communicated his love for his family, both in words and in deeds and Jenny lived to do that same as well.”
Police also said that two young girls – ages 7 and 4 – were abducted. With the help of Michigan State Police and Ann Arbor Police, the two girls were recovered safely. They are in the hospital and we don't know their condition, but they are alive.
The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office arrested three suspects and recovered weapons. They say it was a targeted shooting and abduction.
We're expecting to learn more Thursday from investigators.
We're hearing that the girls were foster kids living with their foster parents and one of the people who was arrested was related to one of the girls.
If you would like to help the Bernhard family, a GoFundMe page has been set up.
