FERNDALE, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 27-year-old man is dead after a shooting in Ferndale.
It happened at the border of Detroit on Woodward near 8 Mile and marks the city’s first homicide in nearly a decade. Police are pleading with the public for tips that will help them crack the case.
“For all communities in this country, it’s not a matter of if violent crime is going to visit your community, it’s when,” said Chief Dennis Emmi of the Ferndale Police Department.
And for Ferndale, that visit came around 1:45 am Sunday. That’s when Emmi says several shots rang out on the Woodward overpass above 8 Mile.
A 27-year-old Detroiter driving a Ford Escape on the southbound express lane of Woodward was on the receiving end of those bullets.
“About six rounds were fired; we know that one of the rounds penetrated the vehicle and struck the lone occupant in that victim’s torso,” Emmi said.
Police say the man crawled out of his SUV after the shooting. Officers found him on the side of the roadway. Medics rushed the man to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“We’re entertaining all motives at this point. We simply do not have enough information to make a determination at this point,” Emmi said.
FULL INTERVIEW: Ferndale Police Chief Dennis Emmi talks about homicide
Investigators are now turning every stone for a lead and checking with businesses near the shooting for surveillance footage.
The shooting marks Ferndale’s first homicide in more than eight years. Sean Morrow says it hits close to home in more ways than one.
“I absolutely would’ve been walking down here because I live right across the street there, about two blocks. So, usually, I’m up checking out a place or walking to a friend’s house,” Morrow said. “But I’ve always felt safe here, I’ve always felt confident, I’ve always felt like I’ve had nothing to worry about, but, you know, things happen.”
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Ferndale Police Department Detectives at 248-541-3650, extension 5.
