DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — A man who was contained inside the Hampton Inn on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn following a fatal shooting has surrendered to police. Dearborn police say the victim in the shooting was a clerk who had a confrontation with the man over his bill.
The man surrendered around 8:30 p.m., following an hours-long standoff that saw Michigan State Police telling people to stay away from the location. Police say Michigan Avenue will stay closed while the investigation continues.
The victim's name has not been released. He is only identified as a 55-year-old from Riverview.
The suspect has not been identified. He is said to suffer from a mental illness and drug abuse.
Police called the situation "a current active shooting scene" and said the situation was "active and dangerous" when it began shortly after 4 p.m.
WATCH AN UPDATE FROM POLICE CONDUCTED JUST AFTER 8 PM:
During a news conference just after 8 p.m. police said they were still talking with the suspect. They also said that firefighters were brought in to break out a window to aid in the evacuation of someone who they had determined was still inside the hotel following the earlier effort by police to clear the facility.
“I heard some loud noises. I was in the bathroom then just shortly after, we hear all of the sirens and police down our hallway and we just like wanted to get out of there,” said Kara Rodriguez, who was staying at the hotel.
CHOPPER 7 VIDEO OF THE SCENE:
During the incident, Dearborn Schools held students at Duvall Elementary School in a soft lockdown that was released after about 2 hours.
"I'm proud of the work our officers did. I appreciate the regional response. I had phone calls from the federal government ... I could run down a very long list of people that reached out to make sure we have the resources that we need," Dearborn Police Department Chief Issa Shahin said. "My crisis negotiators, I'm so proud of them. It's tireless. They were on the phone, doing their best to talk to him and make a connection to try to end this peacefully, and they couldn't have done a better job with the tragedy."
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Twitter thanked first responders and said her "My heart is with the families impacted."
I want to thank all those who responded to the shooting in Dearborn today. The suspect is in custody. Thank you to @DearbornPolice, @MichStatePolice, first responders, and local and federal agencies who responded quickly.
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) October 7, 2022
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