DEARBORN, Mich. — Police took a suspected gunman into custody Thursday night after a standoff at a hotel in which the suspect allegedly opened fire after a dispute with staff, killing one man, a hotel clerk.
The arrest of the 38-year-old suspect came after a nearly seven-hour standoff at the Hampton Inn hotel in downtown Dearborn.
"There was some type of dispute with the hotel staff ... it revolved around money," said Dearborn police Chief Issa Shahin about the incident at the hotel on Michigan Avenue. Shahin noted the victim was a 55-year-old hotel clerk from Riverview who was "just trying to do his job."
"We spent the last seven hours negotiating with an individual armed with a rifle ... At many times threatened officers, and it was quite tenuous. But fortunately, we were able to resolve that peacefully."
Shahin said the suspect had a history of mental illness and drug abuse. During his nearly nine-month tenure as police chief, the chief noted that "far too often, we're running into situations with people suffering from mental illness armed with firearms and the outcomes are often tragic. There’s a broader issue here."
The Dearborn police chief earlier had called the standoff "a waiting game." Officers negotiated with the suspected shooter, who had barricaded himself on the third floor of the hotel, for hours, police said. Moments before the suspect was in custody, authorities had punched out a third-floor window.
Cpl. Dan Bartok, the public information officer with the Dearborn Police Department, said police responded to a call of shots fired at 1:09 p.m. Thursday. The shooting took place from the third floor, Bartok said. Police described the weapon used in the shooting as a long gun but didn't immediately provide information on the suspect.
During the standoff, Michigan State Police and Dearborn police officials warned people to stay away from the active shooting scene.
"This is a dangerous situation, this person is still liable to shoot at people walking in this area," MSP Lt. Michael Shaw said. "So I cannot say it enough. This is not a safe area, do not come down to downtown Dearborn."
Warnings didn't dissuade the many people who turned out to see the activity. Soon, what started as a lively gathering of folks gawking at the mass of police along Michigan Avenue turned somber as more police vehicles and staff gathered as the standoff wore on.
Pedestrians at a busy strip mall across the street from the Hampton Inn were initially directed away from the inn as police yelled, "Get out of the line of fire!"
Authorities contained the suspected shooter Thursday afternoon and started negotiations to resolve the active shooting situation.
Sarah Azaz was at work at Cosmo salon on Michigan Avenue, interviewing a candidate for a job when she saw 30 police cars racing by. She ran to make sure her mom, Sue Azaz, at Biggby was OK. Sue Azaz owns the coffee shop across the street from the hotel.
“I’m not scared, but I’m scared for my community,” Sue Azaz said.
Hian Beydoun, 20, lives near the Hampton Inn. “It's kind of like terrifying to think something so bad could happen so close to home, especially when you’re supposed to feel safe," Beydoun said.
Kamal Mustafa, 55, lives a few blocks from the scene but was in east Dearborn when he heard police were responding to a shooting. His son attends Dearborn High School, about a mile away from the Hampton Inn.
“The first thing that came to my mind is somebody shooting in the school. So I just flew here,” he said.
Mustafa said students were sent home for the day.
Bobak Dehkordi, manager at Athletico’s on Michigan, said he closed the offices after clients canceled when the shooting shut down. He was giving SWAT team members and other authorities access to his restrooms during the standoff.
Dehkordi said he’s not seen anything this unusual in Dearborn.
“Not in this area. Not like this,” he said.
He said he served in the Iranian army: “So I’m used to combat.”
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