ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A man was shot and killed Wednesday morning by his ex-girlfriend’s stepson after breaking into a home in Orion Township, deputies said.
It happened just before 10:10 a.m. on Elkhorn Road near Pine Tree Road.
Deputies said the suspect, 67-year-old Galen Gavitt of Unionville, broke a window at the rear of the home with an axe and went inside as the woman and her stepson tried barricading themselves in a bedroom upstairs.
Hear more about the incident from the Oakland County sheriff below:
As the stepson, a 36-year-old, was holding the door in an attempt to stop the suspect from getting in, Gavitt fired a gunshot through the door and the stepson fell to the ground, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said.
Gavitt then pointed a gun at the stepson, stepped over him and tried getting into an adjoining bathroom where the ex-girlfriend was.
As Gavitt tried getting into the bathroom, the stepson fired a gunshot, hitting the suspect in the head.
Video: Chopper 7 above the scene
Deputies tried performing life-saving measure on Gavitt, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
"It's just devastating that it happened to them," neighbor Betty Brown said. "Our neighborhood is so peaceful. It's so calm around here. It's like an all-American neighborhood. We've got dirt roads, everyone knows everybody and you never expect something like that to happen around your house."
After a 17-year relationship with the Gavitt, the former live-in girlfriend moved into the home with her stepson and his wife.
The ex-girlfriend, a 62-year-old, had filed for a Personal Protection Order in June. It was granted to her because of Gavitt's behavior. The court then placed an Extreme Risk Protection Order against him after concerning behavior involving threats and a firearm, which falls under Michigan's red flag laws.
“I don’t know that I can characterize the most critical window for someone that is trying to get out of an abusive, violent relationship. I think anytime is. It can escalate very quickly,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.
The suspect allegedly got the firearm from an ex-wife. It’s unclear if she gave it to him or if he took it.
That incident is under investigation.
If you or someone you know needs help with domestic violence, call the Michigan Domestic Violence Hotline at 866-864-2338.
