OAKLAND COUNTY (WJRT) -
(11/06/12) - A 43-year-old Wixom man was arrested Monday night.
Two dozen shootings have been reported since mid-October. One driver has been injured.
"It's been a classic case of domestic terrorism, in my opinion," says Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wriggelsorth.
His department is part of the task force involved in the investigations.
The shootings have spanned four Michigan counties - Ingham, Livingston, Oakland and Shiawassee.
"People were generally and should have been fearful. I would reassure them we did everything we could to catch this person," Wriggelsworth says. "I can think we can all breathe a sigh of relief."
"It's quite a deal," says Perry Township resident Travis Farris. "I've been kind of watching myself going on down the road."
Farris lives near where a few of the shootings have been reported in Shiawassee County.
ABC12 spoke with him last month and again Tuesday as word of the arrest spread.
Farris says he heard three gunshots shots in all and all of the talk in the days that followed.
"This is where they'd come to talk about it," says Jeff Anderson. His wife owns Tracy's Outpost, a gun shop, in downtown Perry.
"The state police have been in asking us about who we've seen and posting pictures so that they can keep us alert," Anderson says. "You never know where the shooter wants to buy ammo, they said."
The people at Tracy's Outpost hope the arrest will help ease some fears and even their own.
"My daughter works at a farm down that way," Anderson says. "I'm hoping they got him."
A press release from the task force reads as follows:
A 43 year-old male from Wixom was arrested last night in connection with the series of shootings that have been reported in Oakland, Livingston, Ingham, and Shiawassee counties.
The arrest was the result of information derived during the investigation over the past few days.
Task force members arrested the suspect at his residence. Potential evidence has been seized during this arrest and will be evaluated by our crime laboratories. Additionally, the suspect is known to have driven a vehicle matching the vehicle description provided by one of the victims.
Additional information about the suspect of the investigation will not be released pending further investigation and review of the investigation by the four county prosecutor's offices and the US Attorney's Office for violations of law.
Over 2800 tips have come in since the task force was established on October 19, 2012. Even with this arrest, the task force encourages citizens to remain vigilant in reporting information leading to potential suspects. Anonymous tips can be reported to 1-800-SPEAK-UP. Tips can also be reported to any local police agency; there is a $102,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
The shootings occurred on the following dates at the following locations (times are approximate):
Oct. 16, 2012, 7:05 p.m., W. Maple Road west of Benstein Road
Oct. 16, 2012, 7:15 p.m., N. Wixom Road south of Loon Lake Road
Oct. 16, 2012, 7:15 p.m., N. Wixom Road north of Hopkins Drive
Oct. 16, 2012, 7:15 p.m., N. Wixom Road south of Charms Road
Oct. 16, 2012, 7:15 p.m., N. Wixom Road north of Potter Road
Oct. 17, 2012, 6:50 p.m., Benstein Road north of W. Maple Road
Oct. 18, 2012, 2:15 p.m., N. Wixom Road south of Charms Road
Oct. 18, 2012, 2:15 p.m., N. Wixom Road north of Potter Road
Oct. 18, 2012, 2:15 p.m., N. Wixom Road north of W. Maple Road
Oct. 18, 2012, 2:15 p.m., N. Wixom Road north of W. Maple Road
Oct. 18, 2012, 2:15 p.m., S. Wixom Road south of Old Wixom Road
Oct. 18, 2012, 2:15 p.m., S. Wixom Road south of Old Wixom Road
Oct. 18, 2012, 2:40 p.m., WB I-96 west of mile marker 135
Oct. 18, 2012, 6:30 p.m., M-52 north of W. Locke Road
Oct. 18, 2012, 6:30 p.m., M-52 north of W. Locke Road
Oct. 18, 2012, 6:30 p.m., M-52 near Haslett Road
Oct. 18, 2012, 6:30 p.m., M-52 near Bell Oak Road
Oct. 18, 2012, 6:30 p.m., M-52 north of Sherwood Road
Oct. 18, 2012, 6:30 p.m., M-52 near Sherwood Road
Oct. 18, 2012, 6:30 p.m., M-52 north of Grand River Avenue
Oct. 18, 2012, 6:30 p.m., Grand River Avenue east of M-52
Oct. 18, 2012, 6:30 p.m., M-52 (Stockbridge Road) south of Grand River Avenue
Oct. 27, 2012, 11:50 a.m., EB I-96 in between M-52 (Stockbridge Road) and Fowlerville Road
Oct. 27, 2012, 12:20 p.m., EB I-96 in between M-52 (Stockbridge Road) and Fowlerville Road
The task force includes the Wixom Police Department, Walled Lake Police Department, Oakland County Sheriff's Department, Livingston County Sheriff's Department, Ingham County Sheriff's Office, Michigan State Police, Michigan State University Police Department, FBI, ATF and U.S. Marshals Service.
